Addison Went First
by the.eye.does.not.SEE
Summary: "So," Addison begins casually. "Can you believe Little Grey and Mark?" A rewriting of a scene from "Before and After" 5x15 where Addison *does* tell Derek about Mark and Lexie's relationship. Note: Title may change.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: Hello! So I stared this story a while ago and in light of recent Grey's events (don't read the author's note at the bottom if you don't want season 7 spoilers) I feel that I need to post something a bit happier. This story is kind of a rewriting of a scene in Season 5, called "Before and After," in which Addison almost spills the beans to Derek that Mark and Lexie are together. I always wished she'd gotten the words out; it would have made for a spectacularly awkward scene :)

Hope you like this!

Lexie Grey is standing a few yards away from the nurses' station, admiring her ribbon. Mark walks up to her, his behavior rather stiff and seemingly indifferent.

"Dr. Grey," he says, stopping a good five feet away from her. "It appears congratulations are in order."

"Thank you, Dr. Sloan," she says, smiling at him.

"I'd also like it acknowledged that I offer these congratulations _professionally_ and _respectfully_…Without any innuendo or inappropriate body language," Mark says as Addison looks up from the nurses' station, studying the couple.

"Acknowledged, Dr. Sloan," she says, a smile still on her face. If someone who didn't know Lexie and Mark's secret history, which was currently most people, they would think that this was all just professional courtesy. That is, until Lexie leaned towards him, much too close.

"Do you know," she says, looking up at him and biting her lip seductively, "What's a doomsday sucker?"

He grins, leaning into her despite the fact that they're in public, about to speak. Addison takes this moment to make herself known, walking up behind Lexie and offering her hand.

Addie walks up. "Addison Montgomery," she says, introducing herself and holding out her hand.

"Uh, Lex—Lexie Grey," she returns, shaking her hand.

Addison's eyebrows rise as her eyes shoot to Mark's. He looks down, not making eye contact.

"Mark, Addie, Little Grey," Derek says, walking up to the trio.

"_Little _Grey?" Addison asks with surprise, glancing again to Mark. He just keeps his head down, rubbing his cheek nervously and pretending he doesn't notice her reaction.

"I am going to have to meet you at Joe's in a bit," he informs his ex. "I've got a craniotomy. Little Grey," he continues, turning to Lexie. "I hear you're going to be holding the doomsday sucker."

"Now?" Lexie is asking, looking at Derek eagerly. "Uh, great! Yea—yeah, yes! Yes, sir."

"OR two, I'll see you there," he says, nodding to Lexie. Lexie smiles, leaving their party and walking towards the scrub room. Addison smirks, watching her leave.

"Doomsday sucker!" Lexie calls out, her arms in the air. Derek chuckles before turning to Mark and Addie.

"So," Addison begins casually—so casually that Mark didn't pick up on her amused undertones, something that will surely get him into trouble. "Can you believe Little Grey and Mark?" She says, tilting her head in his direction and trailing off suggestively.

"Addison!" Mark warns, looking over at her, his face stricken. Derek's head, which had been looking confusedly at Addison, automatically swivels to meet Mark's worried eyes. Derek stares at him for a moment, completely speechless.

"Derek…" Mark starts, and then breaks off, deciding to wait for what he's going to say. After a moment, Derek closes his eyes, looks down, and a smile appears on his face. Mark looks, if its possible, even more worried.

"Well, I guess I shouldn't have expected anything different," Derek sighs, looking at his best friend. He isn't glaring or accusing, just simply stating a fact. Defeated. But that total superiority of Derek's gaze is what gets to Mark. The complete exhaustion in his tone. It's as if Derek is saying that Mark just can't help himself, and that he'll always be what he's always been. That he can't change, that he will always fail in Derek's eyes. Mark crosses his arms, defiant. Addison just looks on, amused, not realizing the mess she's just created.

"And why is that?" Mark asks, studying the neurosurgeon.

"Well, when I tell you not to do something, you just go ahead and do it. You can't help yourself. I would say it isn't your fault…But it _is_ your fault."

"And you're just forming this opinion without any knowledge of the situation at all, are you?"

"I don't need any knowledge of the situation. I know enough already. This is just like any other time. I ask you not to, and you promise me you won't…but you just couldn't help yourself this time, could you?" Derek's condescension is tangible, and it sets Mark's teeth on edge. "Just like any other time," Derek mutters, shaking his head. Addison glances between the two, her smile faltering. She has no idea how the conversation went from Mark dating Lexie Grey to whatever they were arguing about in secret.

"Wow, that's insulting," Mark snaps, glaring at his friend. "And you've even got the basics wrong this time. First off, _you _didn't ask me—"

"Oh, really? Was that not me telling you _not _to get involved with—"

"It was Meredith," Mark growls out. "It was Meredith and you know it. Hell, you _told _me it was her who had the concerns. But, just like you two, your concerns are always misguided. Lex doesn't need protecting. She's fine," he spits out. His eyes flash as he speaks again. "And am I really that dangerous? Do you really think that being with me would _corrupt _her or something? I mean, I get it, I slept with Addie and you were pissed. That's reasonable. But come _on_! Addison's not here anymore, Derek, and it's not like I did anything to Meredith! But you, as always, need someone to pin all your pent-up anger on—and I just happen to be the perfect target."

"Um, in case you haven't noticed, I _am _still standing here," Addison says, waving her hand in the air, trying to break up the animosity. She realizes too late—as a sudden awareness hits Mark—that she can't do anything to stop their fight.

"You did this on purpose, didn't you?" He accuses Derek. "You knew once you said anything I wouldn't be able to leave her alone. You set me up for this, just so you could prove _once again _how much better a guy you are than me! I _told _you it was your fault! I _told _you I never thought about Lexie like that till you brought it up!"

Meredith was just joining them at the sound of Mark's shouts.

"What?" She asks sharply, her eyes shooting to Derek's face as she walks up to him. "You _knew _he was sleeping with her?"

"I didn't!" Derek says, defending himself.

_What the hell is going on here? _Addison thinks to herself. _I've been caught up in the middle of some crazy pissing war/turf fight?_

"He," she says, motioning to Mark, "_just said_ that you brought up Lexie to him! After I _told _you to keep him away from her!"

"I didn't say it like that! It was his own fault for having sex with her!"

"It was not!" Mark said, glaring to the two of them.

"Oh, I'm sure," Derek retorts scathingly as Meredith rolls her eyes. Even Addison has to suppress a giggle.

"It wasn't!" Mark replies vehemently. "Go ask her!" He offers, pointing to the OR. But no one had to make a move to find Lexie.

"It's true," says a voice form behind them. They all turn to see little Lexie Grey standing there. She was standing just on the periphery, by the OR doorway, but well within earshot. She had just been about to walk in when she heard the two mens' angry voices drift back to her.

"What?" Meredith, Derek, and Addison ask together in disbelief.

"I went to his hotel room—he didn't come after me."

"Lex…" Mark says quietly, his expression and tone telling her that she reallydoes _not_ need to go there.

"No, it's fine, Mark. Seriously. I'd rather we get it all over with here and now." She takes a breath. "It's not his fault that we slept together. I mean, obviously, he—he had a part in it, but I was the one who instigated it." She pauses, her eyes focusing on Derek. "You can yell at me, if you want, Dr. Shepherd," she says, her voice sounding weary. Derek just gapes at her, unable to speak.

"Or," Lexie continues, her voice gathering anger and her expression turning stormy, "I guess I should talk to _you_, Meredith," Lexie snaps, turning towards her half-sister. Now it's Meredith's turn to look guilty as Lexie glares at her. "What say do _you _have in who I date or sleep with? What right do you have to just barge into my life and try and be my sister whenever you want? I gave you _plenty _of chances and you _failed _on every try. Well, that's not totally true," she says with a fake laugh, barreling on without letting Meredith get in a word edgewise. "You _didn't _try. And you _still_ don't try. Why should you get to flick a switch and decide to try and control my life?"

"I was trying to protect you!" Meredith half-shouted at her, stepping forward to defend herself. "And it's not my fault I'm a shitty sister; you know as well as I do that you're the daughter Thatcher wanted, _not me_. And what right did _you _have, thinking you could just show up here and think that I would know or want to know who you were? Yeah, things have changed since then, and I feel badly about how I acted, so I tried to do something nice, okay? I was _trying _to _help you_—the only way I knew how. I was _trying_ to protectyou."

"Protect me from _what?_ Him?" She says, jerking her head towards Mark. "Please," she rolls her eyes. "He's harmless."

"Hey!" Mark protests, looking indignantly towards his girlfriend.

"Yeah, maybe to anyone else, but not to you!"

"Oh, what am I to you, some stupid fragile flower that will crack and shatter into a million pieces at the slightest touch?" Lexie spits at her sister. "You have no _idea _who I am."

"Right. Right. _Sure_, I don't know who you are. You grew up like a normal kid. Your parents were there for you, you had friends, boyfriends, normalcy. Mark _didn't_. Mark is _me_."

"_What?_ So what if his family sucked as much as yours? That doesn't make him you."

"Yeah, I would like to add that," Mark interjects, holding up his hand, "while our childhood experiences were _vaguely_ similar, Grey, we are _not _the same person."

"Whatever," Meredith says, barely sparing him a glance. "This still doesn't explain why _neither _of you decided to tell one of us. You see us everyday. It wouldn't have be that hard."

"Oh, really?" Lexie asks, her voice venomous. "Not that hard? Yeah, right. It would be horrible and you know it. It'd be you sitting there on your high horse, looking down on me, while I try to explain it all to you. You'd never accept it—never accept _us_—even though our relationship is the same as you and Derek. Except," she glances apologetically at Derek, "Mark's not married."

"Ouch," Mark mutters to Addison.

"I would've listened!"

"Oh yeah?" Lexie challenges.

"Yes! As—As much as was expected, that is…"

"Exactly. As much as was expected—which would be zero understanding on your part."

"Okay, fine, I get it. _You _didn't want to tell me…But Mark could have!"

"Right, Grey," Mark says, reprieving Lexie and stepping in the defend himself. "Like it would have been any better coming from me." Meredith just glares at him.

"You could have spoken to Derek. He'd listen to you."

At this Mark lets out a short laugh, his eyes shifting to Derek. "He'd have punched me before I even got the words out."

"Besides," Lexie continues, too fired up to stop now. "I'm not the one who wanted to keep it a secret! I _told _Mark to tell Derek. It's not my fault that he chickened out!" She paused for a moment, throwing her boyfriend a sheepish look. "Sorry."

"No worries," Mark returned, grinning despite himself.

"So you were never going to tell me?" Meredith yells, drawing everyone back into the fight.

"No!" Lexie yells back indignantly. "I…was! I was going to tell you."

"Well?" Meredith puts her hands on her hips. "Why didn't you?"

"Because…Because…" Lexie falters, looking to Mark for help before facing her sister again. "Because I knew this is how you would react! I knew you wouldn't get it and I _knew _you'd judge us without even thinking about it first."

"That's because I _don't _need to think about it. I _know _what's going on."

"You have no idea what you're talking about."

"Yes, I do! You said it yourself—do you think what you're doing is so different from Derek and I? You think you're not acting the same way I did?"

"Well, if our situations are so similar, why are you so hypocritical? If you and Derek worked out, why can't Mark and I?"

Derek and Addison try and fail to contain their laughter.

"_Because_," Meredith explains, trying to reason with her sister. "It's different."

"Oh, well that clears it all up," Lexie retorts sarcastically. "Come on, give me one good reason why we should stop seeing each other and _maybe _I'll see your side."

"Because…" Meredith pauses, wracking her brain. She _knew _they shouldn't be together—she had a _feeling_—but she just couldn't put it into words. "Because…" Meredith tried, but just ending up trailing off again.

"Ha!" Lexie yells, pointing her finger at Meredith. "You can't even come up with _one _reason why—"

"Man whore!" Addison yells impatiently, surprising everyone.

"What?" Lexie says, startled by Addison joining in the fray. Meredith turns around, silently pleased that Addison was the one to blurt it out and not Meredith.

"He's a man whore!" Addison repeats, stepping closer to Lexie and leading her a few feet away from the others. "Come on, Lexie," she tells her quietly, almost a whisper. "Think about this…Will you two _really _last?" Addison asks gently, her face displaying all the hurt, sorrow, and betrayal that Lexie knows she must've felt when she was with Mark. But, beneath it all, Lexie could swear she could see a flicker of happiness. And happiness was all that counted. Lexie sighs, looking down before facing Addison, speaking quietly as if trying to block all the others out.

"Look…I—I know that you guys didn't work out. I know that he cheated on you and I know that you aborted his baby," Lexie admits quietly as Addison's hurt eyes shoot to Mark's.

"He told me," she continues quietly. Addison's face falls as her eyes dart to Mark and then back to Lexie. _How could he tell her? _By the time her eyes meet Lexie's, her face was once again composed, a perfect mask.

"And?" Addison presses.

"And…" Lexie hesitates. Addison raises her eyebrows, waiting for a response. What she gets, though, is far from what is expected. "And he said we weren't like that," Lexie says quietly. Mark takes over, realizing that Lexie is embarrassed speaking for him in front of his ex.

"I meant what I said, Addie," Mark says, stepping up to stand beside his girlfriend. "I don't want to do that anymore. I don't want to be the guy who sleeps around. I want…" He sighs, gathering his thoughts. "I want someone who wants what I want. And what I _want _is to be with Lexie." He turns to Derek and Meredith, leaving Addison speechless. _So this is what Mark's like with her…_

"And if neither of you can accept that," Mark says, addressing Meredith and Derek, "then I'm sorry, but that's too bad. We aren't going to hide for your sakes'."

And with that, Mark walks off, heading to Joe's, leaving behind a speechless Addison, Meredith, and Lexie. Lexie never thought he'd actually tell Derek…She thought he'd just find out somehow…But seeing him stand up for them in front of his best friend…It felt great. Lexie found herself smiling as she watched him walk away.

Derek, for his part, is fuming, but managing to control his anger—he can't go into surgery pissed off. He places the chart gently on the nurses' station, using great not to slam it into the counter. He sighs, resting the palms of his hands on the counter before pushing off, his face cleared.

"I have a craniotomy to get to," he informs the three women, his eyes on Lexie.

"Right," Lexie says quietly, knowing what he means. She turns around with another word and heads to the intern's locker room. _Well, at least Mark told him, _Lexie thinks as she walks away. _There'll be other craniotomies._

"Dr. Grey," Derek calls out, stopping Lexie in her tracks, not even twelve feet away.

"Yes, s—sir?" She asks hesitantly, waiting for the yelling to begin all over again. But what happens is far from what she expects.

"You're still holding the doomsday sucker, aren't you?"

"Um, I," she falters, her eyes looking from Meredith to Derek. When Meredith won't meet her sister's eyes, Lexie walks forward. "Of course," she finishes confidently. Derek just nods, and Lexie heads towards the OR, this time walking all the way in.

"Derek," Meredith warns, her eyes boring into the back of his head. Derek turns around slowly, facing his past and present relationships. "You can't—"

"She won," he explains tiredly. "She should get to scrub in."

Derek walks off, leaving Addison and Meredith alone together to digest everything that's happened. After a moment of silence, Addison grabs her purse from by the phone.

"Well, I should—go to Joe's," she says, excusing herself. "Naomi and Sam are waiting…"

"Right. Of course," Meredith nods. Addison starts to leave but stops when Meredith calls her name. "You'll tell Derek I went home, right?"

"Sure," Addison answers. She gives the other woman a nod before leaving and heading down to the bar. Meredith stands alone, musing over her thoughts.

…

Author's Note:

(SPOILER **ALERT**!)

Okay, I just watched "Adrift and At Peace"...And can I just say that I LOVED IT? I was really worried that they wouldn't get Mark and Lexie back together in a realistic way (I have no idea why I bother ever doubting the Grey's writers...They always get the job done)...And just...*guh*_** I LOVED IT**_. I thought it was so perfect, and it totally fit both of their characters. So romantic and cute... 3 And I totally loved Lexie telling Jackson to "deal with it." That made me smile. (Side note; Am I the only April/Jackson shipper out there? I think they'd be cute, and I've kind of always seen it...) Besides all the great Mark/Lexie stuff, I really loved Eli, even before he asked out Bailey. I thought the Teddy thing with the dying patient was also kind of cute. Though it was heartbreaking, I think how they left Callie and Arizona was good. I don't think Callie would forgive her right away...Though slamming the door in her face was a little too harsh. But I see where she's coming from.

Even though we have to wait till January...At least we know Mark and Lexie are together. :D I've been waiting for this for like _ever. _I'll definitely be re-watching this episode. :)

(SPOILER **OVER**!)

Anyway, with this story, I'm planning on continuing it after this chapter. I'm not sure how far I want to go with it, but you can count on at least two more chapters. Thanks for reading, and please leave a review and tell me what you think!


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: Hey, guys! So this is Chapter 2; hope you like it! (Sorry it kinda took awhile)

**Chapter 2:**

"I can't _believe _you," Addison shouts from across the bar, glaring at Mark.

He looks up, taking his scotch from Joe and sits on the bar stool as she approaches. "Here we go again," he sighs.

"_How could you tell her?_" Addison yells, slamming her purse down on the counter. Joe looks over from his other customers, concerned.

"What?" Mark asks. He'd been expecting her to yell at him about hiding his relationship, or—

"How could you tell your little girlfriend about us?" Addison seethes. "What the hell did you think you were doing?"

"Well, at the time, I was thinking I might explain some things to her. You know, _open up_. Do you have a problem with that?" Mark asks calmly.

"Yes! Yes, I do—especially when it involves _private _details. About us—about _me,_" Addison exhales loudly, looking away. "You _told her _I got rid of the baby," she whispers. "_Why, _in god's name, would you tell her that?"

"Like I said, I was explaining some things."

"What things? What does me aborting the baby have to do with you and her?"

"It has everything to do with me and her—"

"It absolutely does _not_," Addison interrupts.

"Yes, it does. Addie, what you did…What happened back in New York was big for me. It changed me, okay? She needed to know that," he says quietly. Addison studies him for a second before speaking.

"You're…You're serious about her, then?" Addison asks dubiously.

"Of course I am," Mark replies, as if it's obvious. "I'm not screwing around here. This is _real._"

"Right." Addison nods slowly, trying to comprehend this.

…

"I know you don't…like me…But I just wanted to say thanks," Lexie says as she and Derek scrub out. "You didn't have to do this, to let me in on the surgery, I mean I won but after everything that just..." She trails off, knowing that she's rambling. "So, um…thanks," Lexie finishes lamely, heading f0r the exit.

"You really think I don't like you?" Derek asks, looking straight ahead as he washes his hands. Lexie stops at the door and turns around.

"Uh, well…"

"It's not you I don't like. I do like you. It's just…" He stops scrubbing, turning to face her. "Lexie, I've known Mark all my life. He doesn't change. He doesn't adapt. And I don't…You're a great girl, Lexie. But you're still a _girl_. I just don't want to see you to get hurt, is all," Derek explains, giving her a sympathetic smile. He's staring at her, trying to get her to see that he's serious. Lexie closes her eyes slowly, exhaling.

"Well, excuse me, Dr. Shepherd,but I have to go. A _girl_ like me has got a curfew," she says scathingly, turning her back to him, opening the door, and heading to the intern's locker room.

"Dr. Grey," Derek calls after her futilely. He watches her go before returning his eyes to the sink. He sighs, dries his hands, and then leaves the way he came.

…

Derek pauses, stopping outside the bar's entrance. He runs a hand through his hair, trying to clear his head and get ready to face his old friends. Addison probably hasn't said anything about the fight, and he highly doubts that Mark would have mentioned anything voluntarily. So he plasters a smile on his face, and puts his hand on the doorknob. The tinkling of the bell at the Emerald City Bar announces Derek's arrival.

"There he is!" Sam calls, as the group bursts into applause and cheers. Mark looks up from his stool, where he's sipping quietly form his scotch. Addison gets up from beside him and walks over to her ex-husband. Mark, seeing that Derek hasn't noticed him and therefore won't be able to bring up the fight, moves to a booth by the door, the furthest away from 'best friend.'

"That's the kind of welcome I deserve!" Derek calls jovially, trying to put on a happy face. His eyes sweep around the bar, catching Mark, but he doesn't have time to say anything as Addison jumps up to hug her ex-husband tightly.

"You were a god today," Addison says as she pulls back, her hands around his neck. "You were a god in that OR. You slew dragons, you walked on water…You were a god. But now," she smiles, "now you need to get very tiny again, and go back in the box," she finishes, gratitude shining from her eyes. Derek nods in understanding, stepping back.

Mark looks behind him as the twinkle of the bell sounds again. Instead of Derek, it's Lexie walking through the door. And she doesn't even bother to conceal her emotions.

"You okay?" He asks, worried, getting up.

"I'm fine." Her eyes flit to Derek and the group's cheering, her expression getting angrier. "Can we just go, please?"

"Of course," he says, grabbing his coat and swallowing the last of his drink.

"Joe," Mark calls out, nodding towards his scotch, which sits above a ten-dollar bill. Joe nods before going back to preparing Derek's drink.

"Hey, how was your, uh, craniotomy?" Addison asks, stepping away and changing the subject.

"It was fine," he says, distracted by the sound of Mark's voice.

"I'll see you guys tomorrow," Mark is saying, leaving before anyone can respond.

"Bye," Naomi says lamely, watching him place his hand on the small of a girl's back, ushering her outside. Addison follows Derek's gaze, glancing over just in time to see Mark's coat disappear out into the cold Seattle night. Derek shakes his head, disgusted, and walks over to Sam. Naomi was about to turn and ask her ex-husband who the woman Mark was with was, but Derek had started talking to him about his new book and Naomi knew he'd be talking for a while. Naomi rolled her eyes at Sam and walked over to Addison.

Looking through the window, Addison can see Mark and Lexie walk hand-in-hand down the street towards his car. Addison watches them for a moment more—it's impossible for her to process Mark being a one-woman man, and she's curious.

"Who was that girl he was with?" Naomi asks, intrigued, walking up to Derek's vacated spot beside Addison.

"Lexie Grey," Addison says.

"Grey…" Naomi thinks for a minute. "As in Meredith Grey? They're, what? Sisters?"

"Yup," Addison returns, looking away from the couple and back to her best friend.

…

"Did Derek give you a rough time?" Mark asks, linking his fingers through hers. Lexie sighs, closing her eyes.

"No," she replies curtly. "The surgery went fine."

"I'm not asking about the surgery," he responds, stopping in front of his car.

"He was just…judgmental, is all," Lexie explains, glancing back to the bar, where she can see Addison and one of Mark's friends through the window. "You can go back, you know," she tells him, changing the subject. He looks down at her. "They_ are_ your friends, after all. And they live all the way in LA."

"So?"

"So it means they're never here. Go talk to them. Have a drink."

"It's okay. I had a scotch. We're not that good of friends anymore anyway," Mark says shortly, kissing her forehead and getting into the car. Lexie looks back to the bar, noticing Addison watching her through window. Lexie stands there for a moment, trying to decide if he's talking about his friends from Med school or Derek. Giving up, her eyes meet Addison's once more before climbing into the passenger seat.

…

"So…" Naomi starts, giggling. "When did _that _happen," she says, cocking her head in Mark's direction.

"I have no idea," Addison answers truthfully. "I just found out. _Everyone _just found out, actually."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means they were hiding their relationship," Addison says, glancing out the window towards the couple in question.

"Well, they don't seem to be hiding it now," Naomi replies, watching Mark cup the girl's neck and kiss her forehead lightly before getting in the car.

"Nope, they don't," Addison replies, her eyes meeting Lexie's for a brief moment before she joins Mark in the car.

"So," Naomi starts excitedly. "Tell me about them!"

Addison just looks at her blankly. "What's there to tell? I don't know anything."

"Well, you just said you were one of the people who found out they were together. Who else was there, by the way?"

Addison sighs. She'd really hoped she wouldn't have to go through that whole awkward fight again. But she also knew Naomi would never stop bothering him until she knew the truth, especially when it was so outlandish.

"Derek and Meredith," Addison replies, frowning.

"What, was it bad? What happened?" Naomi asks, noticing her friend's expression.

"Apparently Derek had told Mark to stay away from her—Lexie—and, obviously, Mark didn't, so…"

"Well how'd he find out in the first place? I mean, if they've been hiding it for this long—oh, god, did he walk in on them?" Naomi asks with a laugh. Addison cracks a smile.

"No, no, nothing like that. Thank god. He, um…He found out because I accidentally told him."

"Addison!"

"Well, I thought he knew! I mean, they were openly flirting with each other! I could tell from across the room," Addison defends herself quickly.

"Well, maybe Derek chose not to see it then."

"Yeah, that seems to be the case," Addison snorts. Naomi looks at her curiously. "Well, um, after I kind of out-ed them, Derek pretty much said he'd seen it coming from a mile away. And then Mark started yelling about how Derek never trusted him…"

"Oh, so that's why he left so quickly," Naomi surmises. She'd been wondering why neither of them were speaking and why Mark was skulking in the corner. "They got into a fight."

"Pretty bad one, too," she replies. "I doubt Meredith and Lexie will be speaking anytime soon either."

"Oh, yeah? She was mad too?"

Addison nods. "But for them it was more about how Meredith is an awful sister and how Lexie was the golden daughter." Addison sighs. "I can say with complete truth that I do _not _miss working here. It's insane, everything that goes on."

"I can tell," Naomi laughs. She takes a sip of her wine, glancing to her friend. "Is he…serious about her?" She asks after a moment, inclining her head towards the window. "At all?"

"Seems to be," Addison replies quietly. "I mean, they didn't look like they were breaking up or anything before."

"Guess we'll find out tomorrow," Naomi notes, picking up her drink and heading back over to the bar.

"Guess so," Addison replies, following her.

…

Mark takes her hand in his, using his other to steer the car. "You sure you're all right?" He glances over to her quickly, assessing the damage.

"I will be," she says, giving him a small smile and squeezing his hand.

Mark squeezes back lightly before backing out, leaving the hospital parking lot, and heading towards downtown Seattle. The car is silent for a few minutes before Lexie speaks.

"He called me a girl," Lexie growls.

"Hm?" Mark asks, glancing at her and pressing his foot onto the gas pedal as the light turns green.

"Derek. He said I was a _girl _and that he didn't want to see me get _hurt_."

Mark's nostrils flare involuntarily. It was one thing for Derek to warn Mark away from Lexie, they were friends…_Were…_But to _lecture_ _her _about him? What the fuck is his problem?

"I'm sorry, Lex," he says after a moment, trying to even his tone. He looks over at her. "He can be a real ass sometimes."

She looks out the window. "It's fine. I don't care."

"Lexie…" Mark glances over to her, worried.

"Why doesn't anyone trust us, Mark?" She asks suddenly, turning back to him.

"It's not us they don't trust," he says, his eyes on the road.

"But he's your best friend," Lexie protests, knowing exactly what he's talking about. "He should be on your side!"

"He should," Mark says, maneuvering the car down a side street. "But you have to remember that we only _just _told them." She looks at him. "Okay, they only just _found out_," he allows with a smile. "So they'll be judgmental for a while. I think it's best if we just ride it out."

She studies him silently for a minute.

"What?" Mark asks self-consciously. She shakes her head, smiling.

"When did you become the voice of reason?"

"Oh, I don't know, maybe when you became the brave one?" He jokes.

"Funny," she says sarcastically.

"No, seriously, I was impressed!" Mark replies with a laugh. She just rolls her eyes at him. "I wasn't going to mention the whole 'teach me' thing if we could avoid it, but, hey, whatever works," he says, grinning.

"Shut up," she replies, but smiles at him.

"See?" He looks over at her appreciatively. "Knew I could get you to smile."

"Yes, you're _magical_," she replies with a fake air of astonishment.

"Now you're just being mean."

"Yes, I am."

"Okay," he says, heading onto the main Seattle street. "Since Meredith and Derek probably don't want to see our faces within ten feet of each other tonight, do you want to stay at the Archfield?"

"Sure," Lexie replies easily. "I've still got clothes there, right?"

"Course," Mark replies, pulling into the front of the hotel and parking the car.

…

Once Meredith got home, she'd busied herself by making dinner. When she was finished eating, she even attempted to clean part of the house, but soon gave up. Just as she was putting the broom back into the closet, she heard a car pull on in the driveway. She walked quickly to the front door, thinking it was Lexie, finally home. But who she finds at the door instead of Lexie is George.

"Hey," Meredith greets half-heartedly. George looks at her oddly.

"What are you doing up?" He asks, yawning an hanging his coat up in the closet.

"What do you mean?" Meredith asks, glancing behind George's back to see if there's anyone else coming.

"I mean, you got off over an hour ago. Why aren't you asleep?"

"I'm not tired," Meredith replies.

"Yeah, _right. _I'd appreciate it if you didn't lie _straight _to my face. What are you doing?"

"Nothing, nothing," Meredith shrugs him off, still looking out the window.

"Doesn't look like nothing," George replies, following her gaze. "Who're you waiting for anyway?"

"No one," Meredith tells him quickly, averting her eyes from the door.

"_Right_," George says, shaking his head and turning away to head upstairs. "Whatever."

Meredith waits for another two hours, and after a while, she forgot why she was waiting up for Lexie anyway. Eventually, she climbed the stairs tiredly and sunk into bed. Derek would be out for a few more hours with his friends, and she needed a good night's sleep anyway. As she lies in bed, Meredith wondered what in the hell was going through Lexie's mind. _What is she thinking, getting involved with him? She's only going to end up heartbroken when he sleeps with someone else, _Meredith thinks, knowing she'll eventually be proven right. Meredith sighs. She'll talk to Lexie tomorrow; convince her that this really isn't a good relationship for her to be in. Her mind lingers over what could have possessed either of them to go for the other. Sure, he's good-looking and she's pretty…But it has to be more than that if they were both willing to go to such extents to defend their relationship. Meredith just shakes her head in disbelief. She'll talk some sense into Lexie tomorrow, make her realize everything that Meredith has known from the beginning. She turns over, settling herself comfortable into the large covers on her and Derek's bed before falling to sleep.

The one thing Meredith _didn't_ realize was that maybe Lexie had already found a new place to call home.

…

The two ride the elevator upwards in a comfortable silence. When it _dings _their arrival, Mark grabs his room key from his wallet, opening the fifth door on the left.

"Thanks," Lexie says as he takes her purse, hanging it on a hook by the door. They both unlace their shoes, shrugging out of their clothes and into pajamas in silence. It's not until they're lying together in bed, under the covers, that Lexie finally asks what's been on her mind all night.

"Are you sure that you're okay with this?" Lexie asks, studying him. "Derek…You've been friends almost all your lives," she tells him, feeling a little guilty.

"I know," he replies quietly. "But it's alright. You're…" He pauses, looking into her eyes. "You're more important to me right now," he tells her truthfully. She smiles up at him, her eyes shining. This is the closest either of them has ever gotten to saying 'I love you.'

"Thank you," she replies after a moment, leaning up to kiss him. "You're important to me, too."

Lexie pulls back, giving him a small smile before moving closer, nestling into his chest as she'd done many times before. Mark grins, kissing her hair lightly and wrapping his arms around her body. It was funny when he'd think back and remember how he used to be terrified at the thought of being this close, this intimate with a woman…But with Lexie, it's different. It wasn't scary or unusual anymore. It was just normal, comfortable. He felt needed here, wanted. He felt like he _belonged_. They lie there for a few minutes, in the darkened silence, before Mark speaks up.

"Are _you_ okay with all this?" He asks, moving his head to get a clear look at her face.

"I'm good," Lexie nods, glancing up at him. "Derek was just bothering me before, but it's fine now. I mean, it's really not that big of a deal." Mark nods, leaning forward to kiss her hair gently.

"What do we do?" Lexie asks quietly after a moment, moving her head to look at him. "About tomorrow—what should we do?"

"I...don't know." He meets her eyes. "What do you think we should do?"

"I guess…Tell people? Maybe?" She suggest hesitantly, watching his expression. Mark nods absentmindedly, his mind drifting to what the next day will be like. Lexie watches him, worried that he doesn't want to go public right now. Sure, he stood up for them in front of Derek, Meredith, and Addison…But what about when it's the whole hospital?

"We don't have to," Lexie backtracks softly. His eyes look to hers.

"What?"

"Well, I mean, if you—if you're not, you know, ready or whatever we can wait…"

"We don't need to wait, Lex. It's as good a time as any for people to find out."

"Then what are you thinking about?" Lexie asks, looking at him carefully.

"Addison," Mark replies without missing a beat. He glances down at her, and by the time his eyes meets hers, the hurt on her face has been carefully hidden. But he knows it must be there. Addison and Callie have always been sore subjects for Lexie to discuss with him, considering his past with each of them. Mark decides to tell her what he's really thinking, if only to assuage some of her worries for the time being.

"She thinks I'm going to cheat on you," Mark continues, staring into the distance. Lexie looks up at him, her brow furrowed, an unspoken question in her eyes. His eyes fall back down to her face, and he shifts their bodies so they're lying face-to-face. Mark lifts a hand to stroke her cheek lightly. He stares right into her eyes when he speaks. "_I won't._"

She gives him a small smile, bringing his hand to her mouth to kiss it gently. "I know," she replies, letting his hand go.

"You sure?" He asks, his eyes seeming to see right into her mind. "You're not having…doubts?" He asks hesitantly. They lie there in silence for a few seconds, their eyes locked together, before Lexie speaks again.

"You know I don't believe anything Addison said, right?" His eyes tighten, a bit confused. He'd pretty much forgotten what she'd said before she'd exploded at him over telling Lexie about the abortion…_And why is Lexie dodging the question? _"About you sleeping around," she clarifies. "I know…" She glances down before her eyes rise to meet his. "I know that's not who you are anymore."

Mark stares at her in silence for a moment, before cradling her head between his hands and kissing her deeply. When he pulls back, he rests his forehead gently against hers. "Thank you," he whispers to her, his eyes seeming to cool to a warmer blue in the darkness.

"You're welcome," she replies, just as softly, before settling her body once again between his arms. He hugs her body closer to his, not finding it the least bit unusual. In less than fifteen minutes, they're both asleep, their bodies intertwined in a comfortable harmony.

Review please!


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3:**

**Author's Note: I am so sorry this update took forever. I was first working on my other M/L fic, **_**You Can't Imagine**_**, (finally finished, yay!) and then I just got into writing all these other mini-fics…But here I am!**

**Also: words cannot even express how infuriated I am with Grey's. I've sort of dropped the show until things get better.**

**Anyway…**

_The next day._

"So you'll try to talk to him, then?" Lexie asks, tying her shoes.

"I don't know, Lex," Mark replies from the bathroom. He spits out his toothpaste. "I doubt he wants to speak to me and I'm no so sure I want to speak to him."

"What if I said I really, really wanted you to talk to him?"

He sticks his head out of the bathroom door. "Why do you really, really want me to talk to him?"

"You're best friends," Lexie tells him. "You should have someone to talk to."

"I have other friends, Lex," Mark replies, rinsing his toothbrush before setting it aside. "And I've got you to talk to."

"Not many," Lexie replies. "And you should have someone to talk to _about _me."

"Why?"

"Because."

"Because why?"

Lexie sighs, looking up to see him standing in front of her. "Fine," she purses her lips. "I want you to have someone to talk to. Everyone should have someone."

"I have you," Mark repeats.

Lexie shakes her head. "No. You need someone who isn't me."

"Why do you keep saying that?"

"Because," Lexie replies, looking down. "I'm kind of freaking out about this. And you probably are too. You should have someone to talk to about…us."

"I can talk to you about us." He pauses. "Can't I?"

She shakes her head. "You're not getting it."

"Odd, because you're being so clear."

"I'm just saying you should have someone to…unload to…about us. About me. You know, if we get in a fight or something, you should have someone to talk to about it."

Mark waits a minute before speaking. "So you're saying I should have a friend to complain to about my girlfriend behind her back?"

"I'm just saying you should have someone."

"Like I said, I have you."

"Mark—"

"If we're having problems—and we're not." He looks her in the eye, waiting for her to nod. When she does, he continues. "If we were, I'd tell you. I'd complain to _you_. Probably loudly, and for a long time. I wouldn't go to a friend and I wouldn't go to Derek. He isn't a part of this, a part of us." Lexie sighs, letting him know this wasn't what she had in mind. "Even if he and I were still friends, I wouldn't talk to him about this stuff. If I was angry with you or thought that something you said was ridiculous, I'd tell you. I wouldn't go complain to Derek. Or Callie or Hunt or anyone else. I'd talk to _you_."

"I just don't want something to happen between us and then we break up because you don't have anyone to talk to," Lexie replies quietly, looking at her hands.

"You're being ridiculous," he replies softly. A few seconds later, she looks up, meeting his eyes and his easy smile. "See? I told you I'd tell you if you were being ridiculous," he says, leaning forward to brush his lips against hers. She kisses him back, murmuring against his lips.

"If something happens and we break up because you aren't talking to me," she whispers, "I will never forgive you."

"Deal."

…

"Lexie didn't come home last night," Meredith informs Derek as she meets him in the hospital lobby.

"Hm," Derek grunts noncommittally, hunched over some paperwork.

"Derek?" Meredith asks, leaning into his eyeline. "Hello? I told you she _didn't come home last night._"

"Mer, I heard you," Derek responds tiredly, looking up. His patient had coded last night, pulling him out of drinks at Joe's and getting him home late into the night.

"And?"

"And what?"

"Well, you don't have an opinion?"

"What am I supposed to say? I already _know _what happened. Besides, how do we know this hasn't been going on for a while now? Weeks? Months?"

"What, so you're just resigned to all this now?" Meredith asks incredulously.

"Well, I'm doubting anything I'll say will change his mind."

"What about hers?"

"I'm not talking to her about Mark," Derek says firmly, recalling their conversation the night before. "You can, though."

"Yeah, right," Meredith scoffs. "She wouldn't listen to a word I say."

"Well, if you want to change her mind so badly, figure out a way to get her to listen," he responds, looking past her to the entrance's sliding doors. Meredith looks over as well, just in time to see Mark and Lexie come in to the hospital laughing. They both fall awkwardly silent, though, as they see Meredith and Derek a few hundred feet away.

"I'll see you later," Lexie says, kissing him quickly on the cheek before heading to the locker rooms.

"Bye," he replies before walking past Meredith and Derek towards the surgical floor. He glances at Derek, who's turned back to his paperwork, but doesn't say anything. _If they aren't going to talk to me, I'm not going to talk to them, _Mark thinks, feeling a bit like a ten-year-old but not caring.

A few minutes later, Derek and Meredith leave, heading towards the elevators and their respective patients.

"Derek," Mark calls, his eyes on still on his patient's chart. Derek and Meredith both turn around, surprised. "Need a consult," Mark continues, glancing up, noticing them both hesitating a few feet away. "I don't think we need _your_ to assistance, Grey," he tells Meredith. She turns away without another word, knowing better than to get on his bad side at work.

"Who's the patient?" Derek asks, walking back over. Mark hands him the chart, leading the way down to the patient's room.

…

"Who spat in your coffee?" Christina asks, a bored sigh in her voice. Meredith looks up; she hadn't realized anyone would notice…But apparently her thoughts were betrayed by the look on her face. She walks up, loitering on the counter next to her best friend.

"I have a question for you."

"Mmhm." Christina sips her coffee.

"Is Lexie seeing anyone?"

Christina looks sideways at her friend. "Why are you asking me?"

"Well, she's your intern."

"And she's _your _sister."

"_Half_-sister," Meredith clarifies.

"And that is exactly why you don't know why she's dating anyone," Christina tells her, triumph in her voice. Meredith frowns.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Look, Mer, I know you're not all bright and shiny—but Lexapedia _is_. If you keep referring to her as your _half-_sister as opposed to just, I don't know, your _sister_, you might be able to talk to her." Christina takes a sip of her drink. "Then again, she's an intern, so why would you want to bother? It's not like they're smart. Or interesting." Christina mulls this over for a moment. "Though her photographic memory _does _come in handy…"

"What if I told you I knew something interesting about her?"

"Is this gonna be the etch-a-sketch thing again? Cause that wasn't interesting. I really don't even know why she told you that. I mean, it was a bonding technique, I guess, which makes sense since you're so—"

"She's sleeping with Sloan," Meredith says in a low voice. Christina breaks off mid-sentence, turning her whole body towards her best friend, eyes wide. It's a minute before Christina speaks, and it's after a hefty sip of her coffee.

"You mean she _slept _with Sloan. Past tense."

Meredith shakes her head. "No, I mean sleep_ing _together. As in, currently."

Christina gives her a look of disgust. "Ew_, _did you walk in on them or something? Half-sister or whole, that's still twisted." She regards Meredith. "And even a little too twisted for you."

"No, I did not walk in on them," Meredith replies. "Gross. What I mean is, I just found out last night. That they're sleeping together. Her and Sloan."

Christina nods, a smile spreading over her face. "So Little Grey isn't quite the good girl we thought she was, huh?"

…

"Three," Christina calls an hour later, her eyes on her chart and a rare smile on her face. Lexie rushes to her resident's side, not wanting to piss her off any more than usual.

"Yes, Dr. Yang?"

"Since you seem so fond of Dr. _Sloan_," she begins cloyingly, "you can go do scut in the pit," she finishes flatly.

"Dr. Yang—" Lexie tries to protest, knowing full well that something like this would happen.

"Go," Christina commands, dismissing and her focusing on her other interns. Lexie sighs, turning around. She stares straight ahead as she parts through her fellow classmates, trying valiantly not to meet any of their accusing and disbelieving stares. She can't hide from Sadie, though, who bumps into her lightly, whispering as Lexie walks by.

"Nice," she murmurs, drawing out the word with a grin, winking. Lexie rolls her eyes at her friend but can't help smiling back. _At least there's _one _person on my side, _Lexie thinks as she heads downstairs to the ER.

…

"So, what do you think? Does she have neurological symptoms?" Mark asks, standing to the left of the patient's bed. Derek is on the right, examining the woman's pupils. He leans back, thinking for a moment. "Dr. Shepherd," Mark presses impatiently.

"One minute," he replies tersely. The patient looks between the two men, worried.

"Is there something wrong with my brain?" She asks.

"That's what I'm trying to determine," Derek replies, his voice soft, implementing the tone he uses with patients. He pauses, still thinking. "It's possible there might be some residual effects from the trauma you experienced."

"Besides the burns," the patient grimaces.

"Those will heal," Mark steps in. "Trust me."

The woman smiles slightly at him before turning back to the neurosurgeon. "So what's wrong with me? Am I going to fall into a coma or something? Or go crazy?"

"No, no," Derek assures her. "As far as I can tell, the worst you've got is a concussion."

"That's good, right? Concussions can't be that bad."

"Well…" Derek begins.

"What worries us, Marjorie," Mark informs her, "is that you lost consciousness last night." Derek glares at him, cutting in.

"That could mean your concussion is very severe," Derek tells her, stepping forward. "Or it might be an isolated effect. But we want to be careful. We'll have—"

"—I'll set it up so there's someone to come in and monitor you on a regular basis," Mark interrupts smoothly.

"Okay," Marjorie nods.

"I'm sure you'll be all right," Derek tells her, trying to assuage her obvious worries. He pauses to shot Mark a dark look. "This is just precaution."

"But it _is_ necessary," Mark adds.

"All right, then," the patient replies. "Thanks."

"Anytime," Derek smiles, forcing a polite expression onto his face.

"I'll be back at two to check on your burns," Mark tells her. "Until then, don't worry."

"Thanks," Marjorie repeats as Mark exits. Derek's leaning against the wall, shaking his head, when Mark emerges from the patient's room.

"Do you constantly have to get the last word in?" Derek asks.

"Oh, I'm sorry, does it bother you?" Mark mocks, walking forward with Derek at his heels. "She's my patient; I'm her caregiver. I get to have the last word." He smirks, remembering something Addison had said earlier. "And I knew you were dating a twelve-year-old, Shepherd, but I didn't realize you yourself were twelve."

Derek shakes his head, chuckling. "You really want to discuss the age of my _girlfriend_ with me, Mark? Really?"

Mark's eyes narrow at the surgeon's bravado. "Excuse me?"

"Nothing," Derek shrugs, playing it off for the express purpose of pissing Mark off. He knows the plastic surgeon hates it when people allude to something without speaking their mind. "I'm just _saying_…"

"Well then _say it_." Mark stops, glaring at his former friend. "Man up and say it to my face."

"Man _up_?" Derek asks, amused. "I didn't realize I wasn't a man."

"That interesting since I've known it for quite some time now," Mark snaps. Derek glares at Mark, his mouth forming a hard line, before turning around and walking away without another word.

…

Lexie Grey has been sitting in the ER all morning, doing almost nothing. She knew when Cristina sent her down here it was because the pit was boring, but she hadn't expected it to be _this _boring. She'd been checking the inventory in the supply closets for the last hour and half, that's how little traffic there was.

"Hey, Grey!"

Lexie almost jumps at the sound of her name, her gaze shooting to the door of the ER. Owen Hunt is accompanying four paramedics inside; each of them are escorting a patient. _Finally, _Lexie thinks, running over.

"What do you need me to do?" She asks, meeting Owen by the beds. She looks from a man with a bloodstained abdomen to a woman with glass shards scattered all over her. There's a young girl with a broken arm and a thirty-something man with multiple lacerations on his arms.

"Take him," Owen replies, pointing to the man with the least injuries. Lexie sighs. _Of course. Cristina probably complained to him too. Great._

"Hi, I'm Dr. Grey," Lexie introduces herself to the man with the lacerations as he settles himself into a hospital bed. "I'll be treating you cuts today. What happened?"

…

Meredith walks into the ER, looking for her sister. _It's time to set things straight, _she thinks. _This Mark things is getting out of hand._ Cristina told her she'd sent the intern down to the pit hours ago, but Meredith hasn't been able to find her. She runs into Owen, though, as he's rushing a woman to the OR, and he'd told her exactly where Lexie was.

"There you are," Meredith calls, spotting Lexie across the room. She's sitting beside a man with bloodied arms, a suture kit by her side. Lexie glances up, but she doesn't respond. Meredith makes her way over, squeezing in between doctors and nurses to speak with her sister.

"Hey," Meredith greets her sister, standing beside the patient's gurney. "I've been looking for you everywhere. Where were you all morning?"

"In the pit," Lexie replies without meeting her eyes.

"Right," Meredith nods. "Well, I, uh, waited for you to come home last night." She waits expectantly for Lexie to answer, but the intern just nods, still suturing. "You didn't," Meredith informs her, her voice edgy.

"I know," Lexie replies. The patient looks between the two, feeling out of place. After a minute of silence, he clears his throat awkwardly.

"You know, I can wait if you two need to talk…"

Lexie's forehead creases in confusion as Meredith stares at the patient in blatant disbelief.

"We're sisters," she informs the man.

"Oh," he says, nodding. "Oh," he chuckles. "Never mind then."

Lexie's head shoots up. "Wait, did you think we were—did you think we were _together _or something?"

The patient shrugs. "I don't know. Sounded like a relationship fight."

"It's not a fight," Meredith replies as Lexie speaks.

"We're not in a relationship."

"Okay, then."

Meredith pauses, waiting for Lexie to say something. When she doesn't Meredith sighs loudly. "Do I have to ask?"

"Apparently," the patient replies when Lexie doesn't speak. Meredith narrows her eyes at him.

"And your name is?" she asks.

"Jeff," he replies. "I'd shake your hand but I—"

"Right, okay, Jeff. I don't know how to say this politely, so I'm just going to say it. This conversation doesn't concern you."

"Why don't you have it someplace else, then?"

"Because, as you can probably tell, she won't speak to me."

"I'm sorry, did you _expect _me to speak to you?" Lexie asks, staring intently at her sutures.

"I expected you to be at home last night," Meredith replies.

"Really?" Lexie asks, glancing to her sister. "Did you actually expect that?"

Meredith ignores her. "Where were you?"

"Not that it's any of your business, but I was with Mark."

Meredith sighs and Jeff raises his eyebrows. "Who's Mark?"

"A guy," Meredith replies offhandedly. Lexie glares at her.

"My boyfriend," she tells Jeff.

"Ah," he nods. "The plot thickens."

Meredith turns around, annoyed. "How is the plot thickening? You have no idea what we're talking about."

"So? It sounded like an appropriate thing to say."

"As far as I'm concerned, you don't need to _say_ anything."

"That was rude."

Meredith shakes her head, turning back to Lexie. "Are you coming home tonight?"

"Depends."

"On what?" Meredith asks, exasperated. Lexie doesn't reply, but her silence is enough for Meredith. "Look, I came over here for a reason. I was looking for you because I want to talk to you." She pauses. "About the Mark thing." She takes a breath. "He _isn't _a good person for you to get involved with. You should know that. He isn't someone you can trust, he isn't someone you should be developing feelings for. I understand that you weren't here for the whole Addison thing, but you should know—" Meredith's voice dies as Lexie gets up. Her sister watches, confused, as the intern walks to the supply closet. A minute later, she comes back with more gauze and sutures. She sits down again, taking up her patient's care as if there wasn't an irate woman standing in front of her. Jeff glances between them. Meredith waits a moment before continuing.

"Are you even listening to me?"

"Would it matter?"

"Look, Lexie, I'm just trying to protect you."

"Like I told you yesterday, I don't need protecting."

"Sure you don't."

"Now you're just hurting you chances," Lexie replies. "And if you were curious, I'll be getting my stuff from the house later this week."

Meredith opens her mouth to protest, but nothing comes out. Instead, she huffs, turning on her heel and making her way angrily to the surgical floor.

"Not a very supportive sister," Jeff notes after she's gone.

"You have no idea," Lexie mutters.

…

"Meredith's a bitch," Lexie complains, slapping her tray down on the table. Mark looks up from his lunch as she sits down but doesn't blink at her anger.

"What's new?" He shrugs, taking a bite of his burger.

"She tried to talk me out of being with you in front of a _patient_. I mean, what is her _problem_? Does she have no sense of professionalism? Does she have to ruin _everything _in my life?"

"That was a rhetorical question, but okay."

"Whatever," she waves her hand. "I don't even—whatever. Screw her."

Mark grins. "I like that attitude. You rarely feel like screwing anyone."

Lexie looks across the table to glare at him; he smirks, arching his eyebrows at her. She just rolls her eyes. "Clever, Mark."

"Yes, I know. That's why I said it."

"Were you sending a message with that comment?" Her voice is still acidic. Obviously, her anger at Meredith hasn't passed, and cracking jokes isn't helping.

"No," he replies quickly. _Shit. Not a good idea to provoke her when she's already pissed._

"Good."

Mark stares at her, but she ignores him, focusing on her lunch. It's a few minutes before he speaks.

"So I had a case with Derek today," Mark breaks the silence. He thought this subject might cheer her up a bit, considering their conversation this morning. Lexie looks up.

"You did? Why?" Even though they work together, the two rarely have the same patients. Neuro and Plastics don't tend to mix.

"A burn victim came in late last night. I fixed up her burns, and since she was stable, left. But the nurses said she passed out partway through the night."

Lexie nods. "They think she'd got a concussion or something?"

"Yeah, that's what Derek said."

"Hm," Lexie replies. "Is he speaking to you?"

Mark debates his answer for a minute before speaking. "Sort of."

"What do you mean, sort of?"

Mark braces himself. "We kind of—got into an argument."

"Great," Lexie sighs.

"Well, if its any consolation, I did talk to him about you," Mark informs her hopefully.

"In what context?"

"In Derek-being-an-ass context," Mark replies. Lexie closes her eyes.

"Awesome. This is just what I wanted to happen."

"What?" Mark counters. "I wasn't going to listen to him be a jerk and not say anything."

"What did he say?"

"He implied that you were too young." The sentence is out of Mark's mouth before he can take it back. _Shit._

"Are you kidding me?" Lexie asks, leaning back and crossing her arms. "God, _again_? He really can't get past that, can he? It's not like its that big of a deal! He's such a—"

"Asshole?" Mark supplies.

"Yes!" Lexie points at him. "Exactly!"

He grins at her, shaking his head.

"What?"

"Nothing," he smiles. "It's just nice to have you on my side."

"I'm always on your side."

"I know. I like it."

Lexie watches him for a moment, smiling slightly. "Well, okay, then."

…

**Author's Note: Hey guys, I know it was short. I'm sorry. I just felt really bad and I wanted to post something. This was sort of a filler chapter, there are a lot more important scenes coming up. :) I hope you guys are still interested. **

**Please review and tell me what you think.**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4:

**Author's Note: Hey, guess what! I updated! Woo-hoo! Thank you to everyone who reviewed/altered/favorited, it really helps me keep writing. :)**

"Well, looks like your intervention on Three didn't work that well," Cristina comments, sitting down with her fellow residents.

"Tried my best," Meredith replies. "She had this _annoying _patient in the ER. He wouldn't stop talking."

"Patients are almost as annoying as interns," Alex notes absentmindedly. "If not more so."

"Excuse me? What happened to being nice to patients? Is it that hard to treat a person with a smile on your face?" Izzie asks, annoyed.

"I never said I didn't smile at patients," Alex replies. "I just said they're annoying."

"Whatever."

"What were you saying about Lexie?" George asks, interested, directing his question as Cristina. She looks up, pointing across the room with her fork.

"Take a look."

George turns around, his eyes zeroing in on the couple on the other side of the room. Lexie's moved forward in her chair, punctuating her statement with a violent finger pointing. The plastic surgeon in front of her just smiles, shaking his head as if…_amused_. George turns back around in his chair, lighting-fast, his face grave and eyes wide.

"What the hell is that?" George asks sharply.

"That," Meredith replies matter-of-factly, "is my sister saying she has a _boyfriend._"

Alex almost chokes on his drink. "_Boyfriend?_" He echoes, looking across the room; his eyes widening when he sees what they're talking about."_Sloan?_ Are you kidding me? Is she _delusional_?"

"That's what I've been wondering," Meredith mutters, picking at her food.

"Where—what—when—" George sputters, unable to come up with a full sentence.

"Don't even ask," Meredith sighs, waving her hand. "I've had enough of those two for a while."

George looks to Cristina, desperate for reassurance. "This isn't real right? This is like…this is like a dream."

"Or a joke," Alex adds, still eyeing the two across the cafeteria.

"Yeah!" George latches onto the idea. "That's what this is, a joke."

Meredith just shakes her head, but George ignores her.

"Come on Cristina, she's your intern. Tell me this is a joke."

"I cannot do that, Georgie, boy," Cristina replies sadly, a look of mild disgust crossing her features. George turns around, just in time to see the couple kiss briefly but openly before going their separate ways. Feeling as if he might lose his recently ingested lunch, he looks away.

…

George, Cristina, and Alex weren't the only ones staring. Lexie garnered quite a few stares as she exited the cafeteria, dumping her trash lightly into the bin by the door. She resisted the urge to look over her shoulder; she knew she'd only be met by tens of pairs of eyes, staring at her. Judging.

Instead, she simply sighs softly, pushing open the clear door and exiting the area to head back down to the ER. As she waits for the elevator to come, her eyes follow Mark's disappearing form down the corridor. She stares after him, mystified. _How is it that I can barely look in front of me because of all the people staring, but he just walks past it like it's no big deal? How can he—_

"Hey!" Sadie calls, bumping casually into her friend and knocking her out of her thoughts.

"Hey," Lexie replies, smiling. "What are you doing here?"

"I work here."

"No, I mean the cafeteria. What are you doing there?"

"I had to eat."

"Huh," Lexie mutters. "I didn't see you."

"Not surprised," Sadie says, grinning. "You seemed preoccupied."

Lexie looks down, blushing slightly. Sadie just grins wider at her friend's chagrin.

"What? It's nothing to be embarrassed about."

"I think everyone in that cafeteria—in the whole _hospital_—would disagree with you on that point."

"So, then, screw 'em."

Lexie takes a deep breath, composing herself. "How bad was it?"

"Not that bad," the blonde replies automatically, knowing what she's referring to. Lexie stares at her.

"You're lying."

Sadie's lips twitch. "I was trying to make you feel better."

"Well, spare my feelings," Lexie replies, following her friend onto the elevator as it stops on their floor. "And tell me what happened."

"You asked for it," Sadie grimaces, following the brunette intern onto the lift. "Well, from what I can tell…Everyone noticed."

Lexie nods calmly. She'd been expecting that. When they'd agreed to eat together, it was silently understood by both Mark and Lexie that they'd most likely be the topic of conversation with many, if not all, of the diners. During lunch, Lexie has simply tried forgetting about it, which, oddly, hadn't been that hard after Meredith's little episode. But now that lunch was over, now that Mark was gone, and now that the annoyance had worn off a bit…Now Lexie was painfully aware of all the people that were no doubt talking about her and her love life behind her back.

"I was sitting with Ryan, Meghan, Graziella, and Steve…"

…

_"I can't _believe_ this," Meghan mutters as Graziella and Steve gape openly across the room. "What the hell is happening to this place?"_

_ "I have no idea," Graziella and Steve reply through barely-moving lips._

_ "Whatever," Ryan scoffs, rolling his eyes and stealing a few fries off of Steve's unguarded tray. "It's not like it's serious or anything." Ryan creases his eyebrows. "Though I don't know why they're putting on a show; they'll be through in less than twenty-four hours."_

_ "How do you know?" Graziella asks, looking over her shoulder, confused._

_ "Because it's _Sloan_," Steve answers, turning back around as well. _

_"Yeah," Ryan agrees. "I mean, there's no way it means…_anything._ It's just, like, a fling or something."_

_ "Yeah, a fling with our _boss_," Meghan replies._

_ "Technically not our boss," Graziella notes._

_ "Technically _yes_, our boss," Meghan snaps. "He's an attending!"_

_ "I don't think it's that big of a deal," Graziella replies meekly, shrugging._

_ "Not that big of a—" Meghan explodes before lowering her voice to a dangerous hiss. "Are you kidding!"_

_ "What?"_

_ "You were just glaring at them not two seconds ago!"_

_ "I wasn't glaring," Graziella defends herself, smiling slightly. "I was…looking."_

_ Meghan's gaze narrows. "Why do have that look on your face?"_

_ "What look on my face?" She turns to Sadie. "What look is on my face?"_

_ Sadie just shrugs, staying silent. She does _not_ want to be dragged into this conversation._

_ "You look like the geeky chick who gets asked out by the football star in a chick flick," Meghan replies, crossing her arms. "Why do you look like that?"_

_ "I do not!" Graziella replies indignantly. "And I am not geeky. You're the one with the glasses!"_

_ Meghan's eyes widen. "That's it! You…You like them!" She points at her fellow intern, leaning forward. "That's why you've got that look on your face."_

_ "Psh, I do not." Graziella tries unsuccessfully to brush off._

_ "What do you know about them? Have you known about this the whole time without telling us?"_

_ "No! No, not at all. Lexie doesn't really talk to me. And…I don't know…" Graziella shrugs, the smile creeping up to her lips again. "It's kind of…cute, isn't it?"_

_ "_Ugh,_" Meghan groans, mimicking gagging. "Do _not _say that."_

_ "Why not?"_

_ "Because it's gross! He's _obviously _taking advantage of her—"_

_ "I think Lexie can take care of herself," Sadie cuts in. She immediately curses herself as all eyes at the table are drawn to her. "…I'm just saying," Sadie continues, trying to cover for herself. "I mean, we don't know if he is or isn't. Maybe _she's_ taking advantage of _him_."_

_ The other three interns stare at Sadie for one silence moment before Meghan speaks, frowning._

_"She told you, didn't she? She told you about Sloan."_

_"I never said that."_

_"You didn't need to," Ryan says._

_"Were you ever going to tell us?" Steve asks. "Or were you just going to keep it a secret?"_

_"It wasn't my secret to tell," Sadie replies._

_"Who cares?" Ryan argues. "When you find out something good, you share it, you don't just keep it to yourself."_

_"Do you have any evidence to support that theory?" Sadie asks, cocking her head. "And anyway, like I said, it wasn't my place. I found out by accident, and she made me promise not to tell anyone."_

_"Yeah, cause she was afraid of how it would look." Meghan's voice is scathing._

_"Oh, everything looks that way here," Sadie dismisses._

_"So you're saying it's…_not _a fling?" Graziella asks carefully. "Are they like…_together _or something?"_

_"Oh, don't be ridicu—" Meghan cuts off at the expression on Sadie's face. "You can't be serious."_

_Sadie shrugs. "Look, I'm not saying anything. I'm just telling you what I see is all," she says, looking across the room to Lexie and Mark. The other interns follow her gaze._

_"I don't know what you're seeing, but what I see is grade-A manipulation," Meghan mutters darkly, getting up to throw away her tray before leaving the cafeteria. Her storming feet can't quite be heard over the volume of chatter in the dining hall._

…

"So Meghan's pissed at me," Lexie concludes.

"Yes," Sadie nods.

"And Graziella…what? Is like my friend now?" Lexie frowns. "Like she said, we barely talk."

Sadie chuckles. "She thinks you guys are like a fairy tale. It's actually quite entertaining. I really hope she isn't on Plastics any time soon, she might take to following him around, and then one day he'll be stolen away in her tiny, tiny arms." Sadie tilts her head, thinking. "Wow, she is _really_ small. Think of it, he's like—he's like four feet taller than her," Sadie laughs.

"I don't want to think about it," Lexie replies, frowning and staring ahead. Sadie glances over to her friend

"Aw, is someone _jealous_?" The blonde mocks.

"I'm not jealous. What is there to be jealous about? Mark and I are fine. Besides," Lexie argues, "I'm sure it wasn't like that with Graziella."

"Well, not _quite _like that," Sadie acquiesces, "but close enough."

"You lied, you know," Lexie tells Sadie, trying to move the conversation along.

"What?" Sadie looks over. "I didn't tell them anything. There wasn't anything to lie about."

Lexie smiles. "No, I know. You just forgot to mention that you were the one who told me to go for it."

"You _wanted _me to tell them?" Sadie asks dubiously.

"No! God, no. I just meant—you said you found out about Mark and I by accident. We both know that isn't true."

"Ah," Sadie smiles. "Well, I thought it was simpler than explaining the whole thing."

"It was," Lexie nods, giving her friend a grateful smile as the elevator's door dings.

"Well, this is my stop," Sadie says, walking off. "I'll see you later. Have fun in the pit."

"Oh, great fun," Lexie calls as the doors close. The rest of the ride down to the ground floor is uneventful, save for a few unfriendly glances from her fellow nurses and doctors, letting her know that the news has, indeed, spread. Lexie takes a breath, stepping off the elevator and onto the floor of the pit, hoping this will be a relatively quiet afternoon, at least where her love life is concerned.

Her hopes are dashes just as soon as she forms them, with the arrival of one George O'Malley.

"Can I talk to you about something?" George asks, appearing by Lexie's side as if he'd materialized out of thin air.

"Yeah, sure," Lexie replies. "Can we walk, though? I'm supposed to be in the pit."

George nods, falling into step beside her as they head deeper into the ER. He bites his lip, unsure of what to say. He can't quite move past the shock just yet.

"So what's up?" Lexie asks brightly, hoping her sunny disposition will dispel his sure soon-to-be-voiced complaints about her love life. "What did you want to talk to me about?"

George looks over, staring at her. "Anything you want to tell me?" He asks, cocking an eyebrow.

"This is about Mark," Lexie sighs knowingly.

"'Mark?'" George quotes. "Are you kidding?"

"What?"

"Are you seriously—" George breaks off, shaking his head. "What are you doing?"

"I'm walking to the ER," Lexie replies, stopping to grab some files from the ER's desk. Since this morning, things have calmed down again; there's such little activity that Hunt isn't even in the ER. _Back to filing._

"I mean, what do you _think _you're doing? With _Sloan, _for god's sake?"

"I'm dating him," Lexie replies matter-of-factly. George tries to turn his snort into a cough under Lexie' glare. "I am," she repeats firmly.

"Uh, right," George replies. "Are you sure you're the only one?"

Lexie stops walking, her eyes flashing angrily to her friend. "Ex_cuse _me, George?"  
He looks back at her, his face half-sympathetic. "Lexie, it's a valid question."

"Not when you don't have any idea about my relationship with Mark. You can't just say things like that, George. It isn't fair."

"What Sloan's doing with you isn't fair."

Lexie's eyes narrow. "What he's _doing _with me?"

"He's taking advantage of you," George states, staring at her. She looks as if someone had slapped her.

"I…I can't…What the _hell, _George?" Lexie hisses. "What is wrong with you?"

"What is wrong with _me_?" George counters.

"You think he's…You think Mark is with me because—What do you mean _unfair_?" Lexie asks, switching points. "Unfair to who?"

"To _you_," George replies softly, staring at her intenly. "Lexie, I have to ask you, as your friend…Do you really not see this?"

"I can't…" Lexie shakes her head, incredulous. "Do you really think you're being my friend right now?"

"I'm always your friend," George replies, looking at her intently. "That's why I'm telling you this."

Lexie purses her lips, raising her chin at her friend. "Friends don't act like this."

"Come on, Lexie. You really need to take a step back and look at this."

"And you really need to get the hell out of my way," Lexie growls.

"Really?" George laughs. "You're really _this _defensive about Sloan?"

"He's my boyfriend, George."

"You have to stop saying that."

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Lexie hisses. "Why are you acting like this?"

"I could ask you the same question."

"Will you _stop _deflecting for once and just answer me?" Lexie shouts.

"I could say the same to you."

"Ohmy_god_," Lexie yells, whirling around to face him. "Stop it!"

"Lexie, look—" George shouts back.

"We okay over here?"

Lexie and George look up to see Callie Torres staring at them, as well as many nurses and doctors in down the hall. Lexie closes her eyes, stepping away from George.

"We're fine," she replies. "I was just on my way to file these."

"Right," Callie replies, her gaze flicking between the two. "Well, you should get on your way."

Lexie nods, shooting a death glare at George before leaving. Once Lexie left, Callie turns her attention to her ex-husband, arms crossed. "What the hell was that?"

"Look, Callie, I know you're friends with Sloan—"

"I am."

"—but you have to admit that there is no way that he is anything remotely _close _to good for her. He's not—he's not that kind of person, Callie. You know it just as well as I do."

Callie sighs, stepping closer to her friend to keep their conversation as private as possible. "George, I understand you may think you know what's going on here with Mark and Lexie, but trust me, you don't. I've know about them since they started dating, which, by the way, was months ago."

"Months—"

"When they were first together, I'm not going to lie, I didn't think it would last either. I didn't think she was anything more than any of the other women he sleeps with…But then he kept going back to her. He kept _talking _about her." She looks at George. "He came to me, almost every day, saying how he should end it, saying how he should leave her alone—"

"He was right," George interrupts. "For once."

"But he didn't."

"Because he's selfish."

"No, because he cares about her. Even though he knew he wasn't much of a guy for her to be with, he stayed because he saw that she cared for him too." George rolls his eyes. "They're together, George, and they have real feelings for each other. This isn't a game to him and it isn't a way to get ahead at work for her. They really do mean something to each other."

"Wow," George shakes his head. "I can't believe you'd back him in this."

"I'm not backing him," Callie argues. "I'm backing _them._"

George opens his mouth, ready to speak, but then closes it again. He stares at Callie for a silent minute before turning around and leaving the way he'd come. Callie stares after him for a few moments before heading down the hallway.

…

There's a soft knock at the door as Lexie's sorting through patient charts. She looks up, surprised to see Callie Torres standing in the doorway. "You all right?" She asks, stepping into the room.

"I'm fine," Lexie replies straightening up. "And I'm sorry about before. I overreacted. George wouldn't stop—"

"It's fine, Lexie," Callie raises a hand. "Trust me."

"Okay." She sighs. "Where'd George go?"

"Back upstairs. I tried talking some sense into him, but he thinks I've been brainwashed or something."

Lexie gives a humorless laugh. "I'm sure he does. Believes it too."

"Lexie, you know you don't have to put up with this kind of stuff."

"What else am I supposed to do? If I don't get it all out of the way now, it'll just come back later. It's better to take it all at once, right?"

Callie frowns. "I'm not so sure."

"Well, I am. The interns hate me, the doctors hate me, and from the looks I've been getting, the nurses hate me too." She sighs, running a hand through her hair. "I'd rather just get it done all now. I don't want to be hated in shifts later."

"You sure you don't want Mark to…" She trails off at the horrified look on Lexie's face. "He could deal with all of this for you, I'm sure," Callie finishes.

"I don't want him to," Lexie says, struggling to keep her voice even.

"All right, then," Callie replies easily after a few tense seconds. "But if you ever need me…"

"I'll page you," Lexie says over her shoulder, already turning back to her filing. Callie watches her for a moment, worried for the young woman. If she's taking an argument with her best friend this hard after one day, Callie doesn't want to imagine what she's going to be like by the end of the week.

…

Lexie alphabetizes the old ER charts in silence for five minutes before her breathing starts becoming a bit shallow. She looks down, wondering what is wrong. _What's happening to me? _She thinks worriedly. _Why am I breathing so quickly? Why—_

Lexie gets her answer as she feels her eyes prick and tears fall down her face. She closes her eyes as the desperation hits her head-on, sinking slowly to the floor with her back against the filing cabinets. _At least no one will bother me here, _she thinks amid sobs, hugging her knees close. Over the next twenty minutes, in between bouts of hysterical crying and homicidal plans involving George and a very sharp instrument, Lexie realizes that she can't let it be like this.

She'd told Callie she didn't care if everyone hated her, but that was a complete lie. She cared, and she cared a lot. She didn't want to be seen as the little skank fucking her boss to get ahead. She didn't want people to think Mark was using her, or that she was using him. She didn't want her sister abandoning her, and she definitely didn't want her friends leaving her behnd.

Even though she'd only stop imagining stabbing him with a knife not five minutes ago, Lexie realized how much she needed people like George in her life. How much she needed _friends_. That's why the beginning of her first year had been so hard, and why it was so hard now—she didn't have anyone. Her mother had died, her sister lived halfway across the world, and her father was turning into a drunk. Her only friend had preferred others, and her would-be sister had cast her aside.

But then she had found people. She'd lived with George, she slowly befriended Meredith, and she'd had an odd half-friendship with Derek. Her life had been getting better day by day, but then someone had been dropped into the mix that she neither expected nor was prepared for.

Mark Sloan was never someone she had pictured herself with. Well, maybe in her fleeting fantasies, the way one imagines oneself with a movie star, but she never thought about him in a real or concrete way. She'd never thought about being with him in reality, not once, until Sadie had brought it up. Lexie smiles slightly despite her tears. _So I have one person. Sadie._

She really did owe that English blonde a lot. Sure, it didn't seem like much when you first thought about it, but things would be very different without Sadie. Without Sadie and her secret appendectomies, maybe she'd have friends. Without her, maybe she'd have a sister and a little family. …But without Sadie, Lexie didn't have Mark, someone she was rapidly realizing meant a lot more to her than she had first guessed. In the beginning, she'd thought it was only an infatuation, a passing interest, a guy you can screw, have a great time, and move on from.

But that didn't happen.

Sure, they slept together, and they moved on. But they didn't move far. To her great shock, he'd invited her back to his hotel room less than a week later. And then he'd done it again and again. And each time was better than the last. Each time was better and better until it became clear that they couldn't stay away from each other, not even at work. They were drawn to each other like magnets, opposites strangely attracted to each other despite their many and glaring differences.

And then things had started to change. It was obvious things were different from his usual routine that first night—he had been openly surprised by all the talking they did. But as the weeks went on, it became clear that something really was different when he was with her. Even when it was just sex, no strings attached, he'd tell her how he couldn't stop thinking about her. He'd say it softly, as if embarrassed. In turn, she'd believe him and soon admit the same. She'd tell him how, at times, she couldn't quite believe this was actually happening, and, in the darkness, he'd kiss her, hold her, and assure her that it was.

He had admitted more to her than he ever had to anyone else. He told her about his childhood, his parents, the Shepherd's. He told her about how no matter what he did, he was sure he'd always come in second to Derek, and how badly he wished he could stop caring. He told her about Addison, and tearfully, about the baby she'd denied him. He told her about how he was tired, so tired, all the time. How he was bored, how he felt stuck. How things were routine and okay and normal, but still…They were lacking something.

And then he had looked into her eyes and told her that he thought she was what was missing in his life.

…

And now, after all that, to have their very relationship questioned, to have everything they'd built their little world on, shaken to its seemingly antediluvian core—it was too much for Lexie. At first, she'd been surprised that she was crying over a little tiff with her friend. But the more she thought about it, the more it made sense.

George had disputed her relationship with Mark, and, as an extension, questioned the way she had been living her life for the past three months. He'd questioned her every judgment, decision, action, and word—since they all undoubtedly involved Mark. George had questioned the honesty and loyalty of the one person she had learned never to, and in that moment, he'd hurt her more than anyone else could.

But he had been right about one thing. She was defensive about Mark. She had to be, because being defensive about Mark meant being defensive about herself. Over the weeks they'd been together, the two had grown closer than either had ever anticipated or thought possible. Their lives had been so closely and so secretly woven together that now it seemed insane to try and pry them apart just to take a look, just to make sure things were in working order.

…

Lexie wipes her face roughly a few seconds later, pulling out her phone with shaky hands. She closes her eyes, willing her body and mind to calm down. After a few seconds she opens them, happy to find her hands without tremors.

_We're okay, right? _She types, hitting 'send' quickly. She stares at the screen for minutes until she gets a response, unwilling to look away even for a second.

_Of course, _Mark replies a few minutes later. _Why? Did something happen?_

Lexie sighs, letting her head lean back against the cabinet. She can be thankful at least that Callie hasn't said anything yet. _Nothing, _she types back._ I'm fine. _

_Was it Meredith again? _Mark presses.

_No. I haven't seen her since this morning. I'll talk to you later, okay?_

_Okay._

**Author's note: Please review and tell me what you think!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5:**

**Author's Note: Hey, guys! Sorry, it's been like two weeks since I updated…I'm all caught up on schoolwork, though, so yay! Here's the next chapter:**

"Hey," Mark says, spotting Addison a little ways down the hallway. "What are you still doing here?" He jokes, only half-serious.

"Oh, Derek wanted me to stay," Addison replies, looking up. "One of his patients is pregnant and they might need to take the baby out. I'm just staying a few more days at most before I go home."

"Huh."

"What?"

"Nothing, it's just… It's weird, you referring to LA as your home."

"I've lived there for three years, Mark. Plus, Seattle never really was my home. I was just passing through."

"Yeah. I guess New York was it for you, huh?"

Addison nods. "And now it's LA."

"You like it there?"

"Yeah. It's really nice. And I prefer seeing the sun for more than five days out of the year."

"I'm sure we see it more than that," Mark argues as Addison raises her eyebrows. "Seven, at least," he smiles.

"Uh-huh. So what did you come over here to talk to me about?"

"Nothing. Just saw you across the hall."

"And you don't have patients?"

"They're boring."

"Where's the girlfriend?" Addison asks, adjusting her glasses as she studies her patient's chart. Mark's eyes widen slightly at her off-handed tone, but he recovers quickly.

"Uh, she's working. In the pit, I think."

"Hm." Addison draws out the word, letting it hang in the air.

"What?"

"I could use an intern."

"You're not a doctor here."

"I am for the next couple days. Richard gave me permission."

"And you want Lexie?" Mark asks dubiously. He's still slightly worried about unclearness of the texts she'd sent him a half-hour ago. No doubt that being around Addison will help that.

"It'd be a good way to get to know her."

"No offense, Addison, but I don't really see a reason why you _need to know her."_

"That's not they only reason why want her," Addison replies. Mark raises his eyebrows. "Look, she's worked with Derek's patient. I need someone who knows how to keep that woman calm. She goes crazy if she's left alone for more than five minutes." Mark's face remains unconvinced. "Fine," Addison adds. "I'm curious, too. Mostly curious. You've never been like this with someone."

"Yes, I know," Mark says, straightening. "I'd rather you didn't ruin it."

Addison takes off her glasses, looking at him. "Who says I'm going to ruin it?"

"Oh, I'm sure you'll say _something _that'll tip the scales in the wrong direction."

"I'm not going to say anything to her."

"Then why do you want her as your intern?"

"Because she's good, right? I mean, Derek said she was smart. And you obviously think highly of her, which isn't an easy thing to accomplish. If she's capable, I'll take her."

Mark stares at her for a solid minute before answering. "Fine. You better not pull anything."

"I will be _perfectly _civil," Addison replies, snapping her chart shut. "And it'll be nice to see her like that for a change," she adds, walking away to the charge nurse before Mark can protest.

"Hi, Chief Webber gave me privileges while I'm here," Addison is saying as she falls into step beside the charge nurse. "And I was wondering if you could get me an intern? I've got a patient to look at later this afternoon."

"Sure," the nurse replies. "Anyone you'd like specifically, Dr. Montgomery?"

"Lexie Grey."

…

"Hey, Grey, they want you up on the surgical floor!" Callie calls across the room, hanging up the phone. Lexie sets down her stack of charts she was about to file, walking up to Callie.

"Why?"

"Dr. Montgomery needed an intern and she asked for you."

_What?_ Lexie thinks, blinking for a second before heading upstairs without questioning the order. The elevator doors slide open just as she pushes the button and Lexie steps on, thankful that the area is empty for the time being. She rides up the three floors in silence, only recognizing a few of the many doctors that come and go on the way. As she's making her way down the surgical hallway, she spots the tall redhead near of the patient rooms at the end of the hall.

"Hello, Dr. Grey," Addison states as Lexie appears at her side.

"Oh, um, hi," Lexie replies, surprised at the surgeon's ability to know everything that's going around her without even looking up. "You wanted to see me, Dr. Montgomery?"

"Yes, I did," Addison replies, closing the chart she was writing in and turning to Lexie. "As you probably know, I'm a obstetrician and gynecologist, specializing in neonatal surgery." Lexie nods; Mark had told her this. "And Dr. Shepherd asked me to stay to work with one of his patients, the one who had the craniotomy."

"Jennifer Harmon."

"Right. And you were with her while her husband was in surgery, correct?"

"Yes."

"So you are in a unique position where you have quite a relationship with this patient."

Lexie thinks for a second. "I guess you could say that."

"Well, I better be able to say that. I'm counting on you to be able to keep her sane for these next couple of procedures. She's got another surgery with Derek, and, if the baby's condition doesn't improve, an emergency C-section on the way."

"Okay. What exactly do you need me to do?"

"Monitor her, all day, until the surgery," Addison replies. "We need to keep her heart rate and BP low, we don't want any odd symptoms to trigger an early birth. She gets nervous and antsy by herself, so I'm expecting you to literally be by her side all day. This baby isn't strong enough yet, and I don't want to risk anything."

Lexie nods again. "And when's the surgery?"

"It's scheduled for tomorrow afternoon," Addison replies. "I have one of the night-shifters watching her starting after six, so you're free to go after that. But I need you back by six tomorrow morning."

"Okay," Lexie nods. "Her chart?"

Addison hands it to her, watching as the younger woman steps into Jen's exam room. She greets Jen politely, sitting beside the woman's hospital bed as she begins taking down her vitals in the chart. The two exchange a few pleasantries, their conversation quickly falling into an easy rhythm, as if they've been friends for years instead of simple acquaintances for just a few days. Addison watches in wonder for a moment before leaving. She's been a neonatal surgeon for over a decade, and she's never been able to connect with patients this easily. _What is it about this Grey girl? She thinks. __And how did Mark fall for her?_

…

"Tell me about yourself," Jen says a few hours later after they've exhausted all other topics.

"About me?" Lexie asks, looking up from the textbook she'd been studying in while the other woman slept. "Why?"

Jen shrugs. "I'm bored. My husband is still recovering, and I'd rather listen to someone talk than sit here and worry." She half-laughs, but her already-rising BP attests to the fact that this woman really does need twenty-four-seven monitoring.

"Okay," Lexie agrees, setting aside her book and straightening herself in her chair. She opens her arms. "What do you want to know?"

"Anything." Jen thinks for a second. "Why did you want to become a doctor?"

"It's something I've always wanted to do," Lexie smiles. "You know how little girls grow up wanting to be princesses or ballerinas?" Jen nods. "I wanted to be a surgeon."

"That's funny," Jen chuckles. "I've never heard someone describe it quite like that."

"I guess it kind of runs in my family," Lexie replies. "My sister—the other Dr. Grey—felt the same way too when she was little. Her mother was a great surgeon."

Jen's forehead creases in confusion. "_Her _mother? I thought—aren't you related?"

"We're half-sisters," Lexie replies. "Same dad."

"Oh. Do you like working with her? The other Dr. Grey?"

Lexie reminds herself to keep the smile on her face and not to bring their current problems into this conversation. "Yeah, it's really nice. I get to see her a lot."

"You've met her boyfriend, then?" Lexie nods. Jen leans towards her in the bed, glancing momentarily at the closed door. "Do you think he'll really propose?" She whispers. Lexie smiles despite herself—even though she and Meredith aren't quite on solid ground, she still wants the best for her sister. Meredith's been so screwed up for so long…

"I hope so," Lexie answers. "They're perfect for each other."

"You think so?"

"Definitely."

"Well, I hope they get their happy ending."

Lexie smiles faintly at her phrasing. "Me too." She knows their wedding will only be the start of what she's sure will be a whole new crop of problems. Things never seem to settle perfectly if your last name is Grey.

"What about you?" Jen asks, glancing to the intern's left hand and drawing Lexie out of her thoughts. "Do you have your happy ending?"

"What?" Lexie asks, following the blonde's gaze to her own hand as well before she realizes—"Oh," Lexie starts, almost laughing. "No, I'm not married. No. Not at all."

"Boyfriend?"

"Well—Yeah," Lexie replies. "But we're not—I mean, we're not anywhere near the marrying stage. At all. In the least."

"Well, then," Jen chuckles. "I guess that settles that."

"No, it's not—" Lexie looks down, embarrassed. "It's—I didn't mean that I wouldn't, you know, someday…I just meant…I mean, we aren't quite that serious. And I don't…I don't really think he's the marrying kind of guy."

"Why don't you wait and see?"

"I didn't say I was planning on leaving."

"I didn't think Rob was the marrying guy either," Jen tells her, speaking about her husband. "But then he proposed—completely out of the blue, too—and suddenly he was that guy. Some of the time, I feel like that's what we were waiting for, that chance to take out relationship to that next level, because he…" Jen smiles softly. "It's like he was born to be with me."

"That's nice," Lexie smiles.

"It's true," Jen smiles back.

"I'm not saying it isn't."

"So this guy. Tell me about him, about why you don't think he's the marrying type."

Lexie shrugs. "He just isn't. I don't know. It's a feeling. Like, you know, how when you first see someone and you think you're going to spend the rest of your life with them?" Lexie looks down, her voice quiet. "I didn't feel that."

To Lexie's surprise and embarrassment, the other woman starts laughing. "Sorry," she manages between giggles. "I'm not laughing at you—"

"Yes, you are."

"No, I just—Dr. Grey, I think ninety-nine-point-nine percent of the population feels the same way you do. Love at first sight only exists in that other point-one percent, or in the movies." She smiles gently. "And just because you don't feel it at the start doesn't mean you won't feel it later. I never felt it, but I know Rob is who I'm supposed to be with. I'm sure your sister never felt it, and I'm sure your parents didn't feel it. It's a rare feeling and it means a lot, but it doesn't mean _everything. _You can still be with this guy and you guys can still have a future even if, right now, you don't think it will last." She furrows her brows. "And, by they way, why don't you think it will last?"

Lexie shakes her head. "It's complicated. Too complicated to explain."

Jen looks to the clock on the wall. "Well, it's not even four o'clock. And seeing as you haven't moved for the past three hours, I'm sure that means that you're not supposed to leave me alone, at least till my husband gets back. And he's only been in surgery for a couple hours, so you've got loads of time on your hands."

"Fine," Lexie mutters, a secret smile twitching her lips upwards. "So it started a couple months ago…"

…

_5.50 PM_

_"What? That's it?"_

"What's it?" Lexie asks.

"That's why all this is so 'complicated?' Because your sister and Derek don't like you two together?"

"Don't forget the rest of the hospital," Lexie reminds her. "Everyone, really."

"Who cares?" Jen asks. "You never asked for their opinion, so why should you listen to it?"

Lexie stares at her for a minute, dumbfounded.

"What?" Jen asks.

"Nothing, just… Why didn't I think of that?"

"Because you're busy," Jen replies. "You're got work and family and the boyfriend; you've got things to do."

"You're pregnant," Lexie notes. "That sounds pretty busy."

"Not when you're stuck in a bed twenty-four-seven."

"But still… I mean, I'm one of those people that can't let things go. If someone doesn't like me, I need to know why. And then I try to make it better."

"I know those kinds of people," Jen notes. "I _hate them."_

"Ha-ha. But, really. I don't like it. It's just…I just want things to go back to normal."

"They will. You just have to give it time."

"Easier said than done."

"Well, at least you've got the boyfriend—" Jen breaks off, thinking. "What _is _his name, by the way? We've been talking about you two for hours and I actually don't know what his name is."

"It's Mark," Lexie smiles.

"Last name?"

"Sloan."

"And he works here?"

"Yeah, in plastic and reconstructive surgery."

"And he's friends with Dr. Shepherd."

"Until a few days ago, yeah."

"Hm," Jen murmurs, thinking. It's a few minutes before Lexie realizes what she's thinking; her head snaps up quickly.

"Jen, don't talk to Derek about this—" Lexie begins, wide-eyed.

"Mrs. Harmon?" A nurse interrupts, knocking on the door.

"Yes?"

"Your husband is out of surgery, if you want to see him."

"He is?" Jen asks, excited. She looks at the clock. "It's early. Is that—is that bad?"

"No," the nurse smiles. "The surgery went well. They're taking him off the anesthesia now, and he should be up by the time we get there if you would like to leave now."

"I'd love to," Jen smiles as the nurses come in to help her into a wheelchair.

"Jen, I know you think this is a good idea, but really it's an awful—"

"You said you got off at six, didn't you, Dr. Grey?" Jen cuts in sweetly.

Lexie glances to the nurses. "Yes. I did."

"So, don't worry. I'll talk to Dr. Shepherd about it."

"No," Lexie says quickly. "You really shouldn't—"

"It's okay," Jen smiles over her and the nurses' shoulders as she's being wheeled out the door. "I'll talk to him."

"Jen!" Lexie calls. But by the time Lexie reaches the door, Jen is already down the hall, the elevator being held for her. Lexie sighs, going back into the door and writing down the woman's last set of vitals.

_Fantastic, _she thinks._This is the last __thing I need right now._

…

"All I'm saying is, you've been warned."

"I don't really think I needed to be warned," Mark replies. "I mean, what, this woman's going to say something to Derek and then he'll be completely understanding? Not going to happen."

"I didn't say it was going to happen," Lexie replies. "I'm just telling you that he's probably going to be more of a jerk than usual, if his patient's pointing out his faults."

"People should point out his faults more often. No one ever does." Mark looks over at her and cuts her off before she can speak. "And don't say its because he doesn't have any. Because he does."

"I wasn't going to say he doesn't have any faults," Lexie replies. "All I was going to say was that you're right."

"I am, am I?"

"Yeah. No one ever does point out the bad stuff."

"Maybe we should start a club," Mark smirks. "The Committee to Point Out the Shortcomings of Derek Christopher Shepherd."

"Yes, that sounds like a great idea to try and get your friend back."

Mark looks at her. "Since when am I trying to get him back?"

Lexie stares at him. "He's your best friend, right? I mean, I just thought you'd—"

Mark shakes his head. "No. He's not my best friend. And I don't need or want him back," Mark says firmly before turning away and walking towards the car. Lexie stares after him for a minute, surprised and worried. Mark's complete abandonment of their relationship in favor for her worried him. _Am I really worth it? Am I really worth **that**__? _She thinks, immediately hating herself for her doubt in herself and him and trying to dismiss her worries.

But still, the thought lingers.

…

"Look," Mark begins fifteen minutes later, closing the hotel room's door behind them and taking off his coat. "Lex, about Derek…" His eyes meet hers. "I didn't mean to upset you—"

"I'm not upset," Lexie replies, removing her coat as well.

"You look upset," Mark counters.

"I'm not."

"Then why do you look like that?" Mark asks gently, sitting down on the couch.

"Because," Lexie replies. "I've just, I've been thinking about it…" She sinks to the seat beside him, her eyes on his as she finally opens up. "And am I really worth it?" She asks quietly. She watches as his eyes widen and then look down as he moves closer to her. When he speaks, it's soft and slow.

"Are you really worth me fighting with Derek?"

"Am I really worth you throwing away your relationship with him," Lexie clarifies. "Because, really, that's what you're doing."

"Lex," Mark sighs. "First of all, there's really no throwing away the relationship between Derek and I. We see each other every day; we work together. If you're worried about me and him, don't be. We'll have a relationship." He looks at her. "It just won't be the same. And I'm okay with that," he finished quietly, seriously. He watches, confused, as she stands up and walks away, her arms crossed and her back to him.

"You are…" She pauses, taking a deep and steadying breath. "You are throwing _everything _away for me."

Mark closes his eyes, getting to his feet and stepping forward to stand beside her.

"I didn't have anything to throw away before you," he tells her quietly, his hands interlocking easily with hers. After a silent moment, he looks over, sneaking a peek at her face. She's staring straight ahead, not even bothering to look at him.

"Lex," he says, moving to stand in front of her, effectively forcing her to look at him. "Lex, this isn't as big a deal as you're making it."

"It is a very big deal."

"But it isn't _this big. _Look, Derek will get over it. Meredith will get over it. The gossip and the stares will pass. It'll be fine."

"You don't know that."

"I do."

"_No, _you_don't," _Lexie replies forcefully. Mark sighs.

"Lex, why are you doing all this?"

"Because I'm selfish!" Lexie admits finally, loudly, throwing her hands up.

"Wha…What?" Mark asks, taken off-guard by this.  
"It's because I'm selfish," Lexie repeats, her voice pained. "I…I want you to fix your relationship with Derek so you'll have someone to talk to. I want you to have someone to talk to so you can complain about whatever crazy shit I'm doing. And I want you to be able to complain so it doesn't stay inside you. I don't want it all to stay and stew and then explode."

"Explode…?" Mark asks, not following.

"I don't want you leaving me," Lexie admits softly. "I know, it's selfish and its awful…But its also the truth. I'm a selfish person." She laughs, a hallow and self-loathing trill. "Who isn't, though? Everyone's selfish, right? Meredith's selfish, not wanting anyone else in her family. Derek is selfish, not wanting to acknowledge us because it'd be acknowledging that he's wrong. And—"

"—I'm selfish." Lexie looks up, her eyes locked with his. "I'm selfish," Mark continues, staring at her. "In the beginning, I should have avoided you. I shouldn't have pursued you and I shouldn't have made your life this hard. I should have left you alone like Derek said—"

"Mark—"

"—And I should leave you now. I should go, for your sake, because it's probably only going to get worse before it gets better—_if _it gets better. I should leave because I don't want you to have a predetermined future; I want you to make your own, I want you to have your own career, without my help." He smiles softly. "I want to see where you'll go because I know you'll go far. I…I should let you go because I know you'll go further without me." He takes a deep breath. "But I can't," Mark whispers. "I can't let you go and I can't let go myself." He meets her eyes. "And I'm sorry for that."

Lexie stares at him in wonder for a complete, silent minute. "Why?" She finally manages, her voice a whisper.

"Because I know I'm not good enough for you," Mark tells her, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "I know that. I just don't want to face it or own up to it. I like…" He exhales, shaking his head with a comical smile on his face. "I _like _pretending I'm good enough for you. But sometimes I go too far, with the pretending." He stares into her eyes. "I am not good enough for you. I need to realize that."

"No, you don't."

"Lex…"

"You don't need to realize it because it's _not true. _You are good enough for me, you—you are better than good. You are just about perfect for me. Now, I appreciate you trying to make my life 'easier,' as you say, but I don't want to do that. Yes, things are hard right now, but it doesn't mean it'll be easier if one of us leaves." She smiles slightly. "I mean, come on, the gossip would be even worse!"

Mark cracks a smile at this, closing his eyes for a few minutes. "So we're good?" He asks, eyes still closed. Lexie' eyes flicker to his, watching as he remains closed off. She drops his hand, bringing both of hers to rest on either side of his face.

"We're better than good," she whispers, her lips descending to his. He reaches up, pulling her towards him and holding her close, as if it were his only function in this world.

**Author's Note: What did you guys think of the musical episode? I watched it a day late, with much reluctance. I was really worried it would suck. I haven't watched like the last 6 episodes of the show, but I thought I had to see this one. And I'm really happy I did.**

**In short, I thought it was awesome. Everyone did _amazing _(I was almost as blow away/terrified by this as I was by the season 6 finale) and the singing fit really well into the show. Personally, I thought Kevin McKidd, Sara Ramirez, and Chyler Leigh stole the singing show. I'm now officially in love with Kevin McKidd; he voice is just perfect. And about the Mark and Lexie scenes…I'm not going to lie, I FREAKED out when they were together. I freaked. I also screamed when Eric was singing because I didn't expect that at ALL. I was like "…Oh…my…GOD!"**

**And, I know, Lexie left with Jackson…But as I saw someone post online, Just because she left with him doesn't make him any less of a second choice. Preferably, in my book, he wouldn't be a choice at all.**

**Anyway, my supposed-to-be-short review is over. Tell me what you thought!**

**Oh, and don't forget to tell me what you thought of the chapter. :) Thanks guys!**

**Edit: Sorry, started italicizing different parts of this chapter...I went back and fixed them, though, so it should look normal soon.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6:**

"You still look upset," Mark murmurs against her lips an hour later, his eyes roaming over her face as they lie together.

"I'm not upset," Lexie replies, kissing him softly. "Why would I be upset?"

He shrugs. "I don't know. Did something happen today?" His eyebrows twitch downward. "Was it Addison? Did she say something to you?"

"She didn't say anything to me," Lexie replies. She thinks for a minute. "I should probably apologize to her, though."

"Why?"

"Because," Lexie explains, "when Meredith and Derek found out, I—well, I said stuff I'm sure she didn't want me to say."

"It's fine," Mark replies. "I talked to her about it."

"You did?"

"Well, she talked to me."

"What did she say?"

"She wasn't happy that I told you," he answers. "But I explained that I knew what I was doing when I talked to you about it, and she seemed okay with it."

"She was okay with you telling me about the baby?" Lexie asks, surprised. It was an awfully personal thing to brush off.

"It's been years," Mark replies.

"Mark…"

"And it didn't—mean as much to her as it did to me." He looks away, swallowing. "It's fine if she doesn't care anymore."

"I'm sure she cares," Lexie replies softly.

"It's fine," Mark replies, his eyes returning to her. "Besides, this started out as a conversation about what's bothering you, not Addison."

"You brought her up."

Mark waves a hand. "Tell me what's up."

"It's not that big of a deal," she replies, looking down.

"Your inability to look at me tells me it's a big deal," Mark states, eyebrows raised.

Lexie sighs. "George was just being an ass, is all."

"As opposed to…?"

Lexie smiles slightly at his attempt to cheer her up, but her face soon reverts to its previous, angry, state. "He implied that you were using me," Lexie tells him. She looks away again, not wanting to watch the way his face hardens before her. "And he thought you were seeing other people behind my back."

It's a few seconds before Mark speaks. Lexie can tell he's trying to compose himself, but he's never been very good at that. He, like her, always wears his heart on his sleeve and leaves his emotions written all over his face.

"Please tell me I don't need your permission to kick his ass."

Lexie looks back over. "Just by saying that you were asking my permission," she replies, smiling slightly.

"So do I have it?"

She shakes her head. "I'm not going to let you beat him up. It was just an argument."

"Obviously one that you took very seriously."

"He's my best friend," Lexie shrugs.

"Doesn't sound like a very good friend."

"That's what I said."

"Great minds think alike." He pauses, watching her. "You know it's only you, don't you?"

Lexie looks over, reaching out to caress his cheek. "Of course I do." She sighs. "I know that, I do, I just… The way George said everything, it was like he was so _sure _he was right. Like it was impossible for us to be together and be serious about each other."

"It isn't impossible."

"I know."

They lie in silence for a few seconds before Lexie shakes her head, chuckling slightly.

"What?" Mark asks.

"Nothing. It's just… You know, I could just as easily take advantage of this relationship as you could, and he didn't even mention that. I mean, what are you going to do, put me in the pit all day?"

"I wouldn't do that."

"I could use you just as easily to get in on surgeries."

Mark quirks an eyebrow. "Oh, so now you wanna use me?"

"Maybe."

"Yeah, good luck with that. I can't be bought."

Lexie raises her eyebrows. "_Really_?"

"What?"

"I guess I'll have to prove you wrong," Lexie replies, shifting closer to him and drawing his lips towards hers.

"I gladly accept your challenge," Mark mutters, pulling her body atop his.

…

Mark rolls over yawning, reaching out blindly across the bed. He opens his eyes slowly when he doesn't feel her body there. He tilts his head, looking across the room.

"Hey," he calls out. "Where'd you go?"

"I'm in the bathroom," Lexie calls back, getting ready. A few seconds later, Lexie walks out of the bathroom, her head cocked to the side as she slips an earring into her right ear.

"Morning," she says brightly when she sees he's awake. Mark blinks at the light streaming in from window.

"You're leaving already?"

"I've got rounds," she replies. "It's five."

"You know, I thought we had a connection," Mark groans, shielding his eyes from the light. "I thought last night _meant _something."

"Ha-ha," Lexie replies, tying her shoes. "You can go back to sleep, but I've gotta go. I'll see you later, okay?" She leans over the bed, kissing him briefly before attempting to turn away.

"No you don't," Mark calls, his hand reaching out to grab hers and pull her back. Lexie rolls her eyes, stepping back towards him.

"I really have to go."

"They won't kill you if you're late," Mark replies, leaning upwards to kiss her.

"I'm sure Cristina will try her best," Lexie mumbles into his lips.

"Forget about Cristina," Mark mutters, his hand cupping the back of her neck to draw her closer. After a couple moments, Lexie sighs into the kiss, her fingers reaching up to trace the stubble along his jawline and burrow into his hair.

"I've gotta go," she mutters into his skin after a moment, pulling away and standing up as Mark falls back onto the bed.

"I _felt _something last night!" Mark calls as she walks towards the door. "I can't believe you're just walking out on me!"

"Bye," Lexie calls, grabbing her keys.

"You can't say you didn't feel it too!" Mark calls dramtically as she closes the door behind her, chuckling.

…

_6:30 am_

"Hi, Tyler," Lexie greets quietly, sliding the door open gently to the exam room Jen's currently sleeping in. Tyler looks up from the charts he's filling out, nodding at her arrival and gesturing that he'll meet her outside to talk. Lexie leaves the room just as quietly as she entered it, waiting patiently for the charge nurse to exit Jen's exam room.

"Morning, Dr. Grey," Tyler calls once he closes the door to Jen's room, handing her the chart.

"Morning," she replies. "How'd Jen do last night?"

"Fine," Tyler replies. "Her vitals are consistent and within normal ranges."

"That's good. Did she get a chance to speak to her husband?"

Tyler nods. "He came out fine. She wanted to stay with him, and we tried to get them a room together, but there isn't enough room right now."

"I can check later in the day," Lexie replies. "There might be some discharges."

"I've got to finish processing these," he tells her, holding up the Mrs. Harmon's chart, "and she won't be awake for an hour or so, I think. You can go get breakfast, if you want."

"Really?" Lexie asks, surprised. "Oh, thanks. I'm starving."

"Go ahead," he replies, already turning back to his charts.

…

Twenty minutes later, Lexie is sitting in the cafeteria, eating the last bits of her bagel, when George sits down beside her.

"Hey," he says. "Is this seat taken?"

Lexie looks up at him, taking a bite of her meal. "No."

He sits down, staring at her for a moment. Lexie chews her food slowly, watching him as well. After she swallows, she sets down half her bagel, shifting to look at him.

"Did you come over here to apologize?"

"I came over here to talk to you," George replies.

"I don't really want to hear anything you have to say," Lexie tells him, grabbing her bagel and standing up. George watches her, taken aback by how offended she is. _What is up with her?_

"Look, Lexie," George says, catching up to her as she walks out of the cafeteria. "I'm sorry if you took offense at what I said…But you have to realize that I have a point."

"A point? Are you going to insult me a little more now?"

"Lexie, come on. You know I didn't mean to insult you. You know what I meant."

"Yes, I do know what you meant," she grounds out, "and FYI, that is nowhere near an apology. She stops by the elevators, turning to look him dead in the eye. "Look, my love life is not up for debate or discussion. I'm not going to listen to you think you know more about me and my relationships than I do. It's _my life_, George. You're not my father, my brother, or my boyfriend. I _thought_ my friend, but apparently you aren't even that. So you get no license to lecture me unnecessarily."

"Unnecessarily?" George asks, shocked. "_Unnecessarily_? Are you _kidding_?"

"See? This is what I meant. I don't want to go through this."

"We have to go through this."

"Yes, maybe you do. But I don't need to listen to it again. Go through it in your own head. I'm leaving."

"The hardest things to hear are the truth, you know," George calls out as she walks away.

"So I've heard," Lexie shoots back over, eyeing him over her shoulder. George just sighs, hitting the button for the elevator.

…

"Hey," Mark calls, spotting Lexie a few feet away from the elevator bank. Lexie looks up, her eyes seeking his across the hall.

"Hey," she replies, walking up to him.

"How's your morning so far?"

"George is being a jerk," Lexie replies without preamble. Mark looks up from his chart, his eyes meeting hers briefly.

"Again? Am I supposed to be surprised?"

"Yes." Lexie sighs. "No. I don't know. All I _do _know is that he was being an ass earlier."

"What was he saying?"

"The usual, the same as what I told you last night," Lexie replies before frowning. "You know, it's sad that I'm using that term. The 'usual.'"

"It'll pass," Mark assures her.

"Right. You can say that."

He looks up at her. "Why can I say that?"

"Because you're an attending, Mark," Lexie replies. "You can do whatever you want, no one's gonna give you shit—"

"Plenty of people give me shit," he interrupts.

"—but they can say whatever they want to me," Lexie continues as if he hadn't interrupted. "It's pissing me off."

"Hm. Change of heart? Want me to beat him up for you?"

"No," Lexie replies, smiling. Her head whips towards him quickly. "And I don't want you saying anything to him either," she orders, advancing on him with a pointed finger.

"Why would I talk to O'Malley?" Mark asks, a faintly disgusted look on his face. "And enough with the finger pointing," he adds, dodging her index finger.

"I don't know, but I know _you_ and any excuse you could find to—"

"I'm not going to talk to O'Malley, Lex. He's _your _friend anyway, not mine."

She smiles at him, lowering her finger. "Good, then."

"All right, I have to go," Mark tells her. "Got a patient in the ER."

"Oh yeah?" Lexie calls. "Something big?"

"No," Mark smirks at her, remembering their conversation from last night. "Just a check-up on some lacerations."

"Bye, then."

…

George steps onto the lift just as Mark nears the bank of elevators. _Finally, _Geroge thinks, hitting the button for the first floor. _For a major hospital, Seattle Grace really should have their elevators serviced_. _I've been waiting for one for about six minutes, _George complains in his head. Just as the doors are closing, a hand shoots out to stop them. George sighs with impatience, looking up as the doors stall to close, surprised to see Mark Sloan walk on.

"O'Malley," Mark greets him, typing quickly on his phone.

"Dr. Sloan," George nods, trying not to glare too much at the man. He does have the power to make the resident's life hell if he wanted to. They ride down toward the second floor in silence. After a quick shuffling of the elevator's occupants, Mark speaks.

"You're friends with Lexie, right?"

George briefly thinks about saying _No_, just to get out of this conversation…But Mark will only know he's lying, and that will probably just make it worse. "Yes," George answers finally.

"You probably know already…" Mark begins quietly.

_Oh, _**god**_**, **_George thinks, closing his eyes. _I do _**not **_need to have this conversation with him._

"…But her birthday's next month." George looks up in surprise. _What?_ "What should I get her?"

George is about to answer, when, thankfully, he's saved by the shrill ringing emanating from Mark's front pocket. "I think that's yours," George notes, gesturing towards the plastic surgeon's white coat.

"Oh, it's not important," Mark replies, sliding his hand into his pocket. He grins at Lexie's name before hitting the _Ignore _button.

_Of course it isn't, _George thinks. He looks up. Third floor. _Damn it. Why do these elevators have to move so _**slowly**_?_

…

Lexie glances over her shoulder, watching her boyfriend walk away for a moment before heading back up to Jen's room. The second she looks, though, she has to do a double take—Mark is getting on the elevator with George. Lexie's eyes widen, hoping neither will say anything, as she pulls out her cell.

_Don't you dare say anything, _she texts Mark. _I don't want you talking to him. _When she looks up again, as the doors are closing, she can see him type something back at her. He looks up, meeting her gaze and winking with a smirk on his face, just as the doors close for good.

_Sorry, can't hear you._

_DON'T MARK. _Lexie's mouth curls in annoyance, knowing he'll do whatever he wants, regardless of the consequences. _Yes, _Lexie thinks, _it was nice before, but now it's just __**infuriating**__._ She doesn't need to make this situation with George any more unbearable as it already is.

...

"So, for her birthday… I think I might propose." Mark utters this sentence as if he was declaring what he was going to eat for lunch. When he looks over to George, who's facial expression resembles that of scared-out-of-his-wits child, Mark's remains serene, as clear and transparent as an aquarium. "Three months is a long time, right?"

As George is trying to close his mouth and focus his gaze, the elevator's bell dings.

"Well, I gotta go," Mark says, already out the elevator. "Wish me luck," he calls over his shoulder. George stares, mouth still gaping, after him. Mark looks down, chuckling softly to himself as he makes his through he hallways. It's a couple seconds later when he remembers his phone. He picks it up, shifting through the menu to his missed calls.

_(2 Missed Calls): Lexie Grey._

…

Lexie is tapping her foot impatiently staring at her phone. She's already called Mark twice in the last couple of minutes, and if he doesn't respond in thirty seconds, she's calling again. Jen's still asleep, seeing as it's only seven in the morning, but Lexie is remaining by her bedside, dutifully carrying out her vigil.

"Well, hello," Mark says into the mouthpiece as he hears the line _click_, still grinning.

"What did you say to him?"

"I didn't say anything."

"You're a bad liar."

"You don't know that."

"Yes, I do. Now tell me what you told George. I'm already having enough problems with him, I don't need you compounding them."

"I didn't cause a problem," Mark replies. "I just commented that your birthday is next month."

"It is," Lexie replies uneasily, surprised he knows. "That can't be all you said to him," Lexie continues after a moment.

"That was the topic of conversation."

"Fine," Lexie replies, glancing over towards the hospital bed in front of her as she hears Jen stirring. "I've got to go," she tells Mark.

"Bye."

"Hey, Jen," Lexie says, walking over to her patient's bedside. "How are you doing?"

"Good," Jennifer Harmon replies, propping herself up in bed. She runs a hand through her hair, shifting her body towards the edge of the bed. "I've gotta go to the bathroom," she tells Lexie as she stand slightly unsteadily on her feet.

"You all right?" Lexie asks, moving to her side.

"I'm fine." Jen waves her away. "Um, can I get breakfast, though? I haven't eaten since lunch yesterday."

Lexie grimaces. "I know. I'm sorry, Jen, but you've gotta clear your system before your surgery tonight. We can't give you anything."

"Damn it," Jen mutters. "I'm starving."

"Sorry," Lexie replies apologetically. "I really wish we could get you something."

"Yeah, yeah," Jen waves her hand. "It's fine, I get it."

Lexie smiles slightly as the older woman heads to the small bathroom. She really is quite an agreeable patient; it's such a nice change. _If I were the one going without food for twenty-four hours, _she thinks, remembering the bagel she'd finished less than fifteen minutes ago. _I'd develop pica._

…

"I'm telling you, Mer, he said he was going to _propose _to her."

"He was screwing with you," Meredith replies, not even looking up from his charts.

"No," George argues. "He was serious. I could tell."

"Mark's stupid, George," Meredith sighs. "But he isn't without a brain. He isn't proposing to her."

"Who's proposing?" Addison asks, standing a few feet away. She'd heard that Derek was planning on popping the question to Meredith, and, no matter how much she though she'd hate hearing those words, she didn't seem to mind. What she did mind, though, was someone ruining the surprise. _Who cares if it's my ex-husband, _Addison thinks. _That's just _**rude**_. Even _**I**_ wouldn't do that. _Meredith looks up, surprised to see the obstetrician so close by.

"Oh, nothing," she replies, still a bit on edge from having Addison around all the time. "George just heard a rumor."

"About who?"

"Sloan and Lexie," George replies. "Apparently he's proposing to her."

Addison's eyes widen. She opens her mouth, not even knowing what to say. Luckily, Meredith steps in.

"He's kidding," Meredith informs her.

"He wasn't," George replies. "He was totally serious."

Meredith sighs impatiently, turning away from Dr. Montgomery to face her fellow resident and look him in the eye. "_George,_" she says slowly. "I am telling you _right now_—he was _screwing _with you."

George shakes his head. "You weren't there."

"Okay, look," Meredith reasons. "You're the one who doesn't think they have any business being around each other—so why do you think he wants to spend the rest of his _life _with her? Marriage isn't just a question you answer."

"It is for some people," George mutters.

"Quit worrying about it," Meredith sighs. "It was nothing. He told you cause he knew you'd buy it. Right?" Meredith asks, turning around. "Dr. Montgomery—"

Meredith stops speaking, looking around for the neonatal surgeon, but she's disappeared.

"See?" George says, pulling her attention back to him. "I knew I was right."

"You aren't right," Meredith snaps, taking her chart and heading back to her patient.

…

"Hello, you're Mr. Trepal, right?" Mark asks, reading the name off the chart in his hand.

"Jeff," the man corrects, holding out his hand. Mark shakes it.

"I'm Dr. Mark Sloan, I'll be treating your injuries today."

Jeff looks up at the man introduces himself. _Mark Sloan, _he thinks, remembering his experience with the two female doctors yesterday. _Mark._ _Hm._

"So you came into the ER yesterday with, what seems like, multiple lacerations across your forearms."

"Yes," he replies, shifting on the hospital gurney as he holds out his arms for inspection. Mark studies the sutures closely, his gaze critical.

"What?" Jeff asks, thinking there had been some mistake because Dr. Grey was so distracted. "Is there something wrong? Are the messed up?"

"Not at all," Mark replies. "These are just very nice sutures. I'm guessing an intern treated you, since you were in the ER?"

"I'm—not sure," Jeff replies. "Her name was Grey, though. There were two of them." Mark's eyes flash to his.

"What?"

"The doctor who treated me—she had a sister. Ah, Lexie! That was her name. Lexie Grey."

Mark looks down, trying to suppress a smile. He should've known. Out of all the interns he's seen this year, objectively, she's the most capable.

"Can I ask you something?" Jeff wonders.

"Sure," Mark replies, examining the stitching, as he pages Addison, telling her to send down Lexie.

"Are you the Mark she's, um, with?" Jeff asks, looking at him.

Mark's head snaps up. "What?"

"Uh, yesterday," Jeff replies, feeling suddenly uneasy under the surgeon's unflinching gaze. "Her—Dr. Grey and her sister, who I guess is also Dr. Grey, were, um, arguing about some guy. A guy named Mark."

"I'm pretty sure I don't need to respond to that," Mark says after a minute.

"Ah," Jeff grins. "So it is you."

"I never said that."

"Your unwillingness to answer my question says it all."

"Hm," Mark grunts.

"The sister is mad you stole her away," Jeff informs him. Mark smirks at this. _Of course Meredith would complain about Lexie after she's gone._ "She kept wondering if Dr. Grey was coming home. They live together?"

"Once again, not something I need to answer."

"So they do live together," Jeff says.

"They're in a fight," Mark tells him.

"So they don't live together?"

Mark looks up at him. "Why do you care?"

Jeff shrugs. "Just curious. And you're poking around at my cuts, and I don't like hospitals, so I need something else to focus on."

"Why don't you just stare at the wall?" Mark suggests.

"Oh, well that's much less fun that torturing you," Jeff smiles.

"I don't really think it's a good idea to infuriate the person in charge of your wellbeing," Mark advises him.

"And that is what malpractice suits are for." Jeff offers the sour-looking surgeon a winning smile.

…

"Should I say congratulations?" Addison asks, walking through the doorway to Jen's room. Lexie and Jen both look at each other, confused.

"Pardon me?" Jen asks, glancing to her redheaded doctor.

"Oh, I was speaking to Dr. Grey," Addison replies, moving to Jen's bedside and examining her stomach.

"What?" Lexie asks, looking up. Addie tries to keep the amused expression off her face as she turns to look at the intern.

"I hear you're getting married," she states, a small smile curving up her lips as Lexie's face drains of color.

"What?"

"Is this a joke?" Jen asks, confused, as her eyes flit between the two surgeons. Just yesterday, Dr. Grey had said she didn't see marriage anywhere in her future…

"I can't believe him," Lexie growls. "I really can't—"

"Oh, and Dr. Sloan wanted to see you down in the ER," Addison tells Lexie. "I'm sure you can sort it all out down there. Hell," the obstetrician shrugs with a small smirk. "Maybe he'll even have a ring."

"Excuse me," Lexie tells Jen, getting up. "It seems I have someone to murder."

"I'm sure he had good reasoning," the patient calls after her, smiling and catching on.

…

Lexie steps into the ER, her eyes sweeping across the floor to find Mark. She spots him at the far end of the room, bent over the cuts on a man's arm. She walks up quickly, stopping by his side, determined to give him a piece of her mind.

"Dr. Sloan, can I talk to you for a minute?" Lexie asks before he can speak. He looks over, smirking slightly at the obviously angry look in her eyes.

"Sure," Mark replies, stepping away and gesturing to Jeff that their conversation will only take a second.

"What the hell?" Lexie asks indignantly once they're out of earshot. "Why do I hear that I'm getting _married_?"

Mark doesn't even try to contain his grin. "Oh, it was too easy."

"Why did you _say_ that?"

"Lex, you should have seen his _face_," Mark grins. "It was perfect. He's so damn gullible."

"Why George?" Lexie presses. "Why didn't you say something like that to Meredith?"

"Well, for one, Meredith hasn't said one word to me all week, and second, she wouldn't have believed me. She's not _that _stupid."

"Apparently you are."

"Apparently O'Malley is," Mark counters.

"Do you think I haven't already gotten enough shit from my own class? You wanted to piss off an _already_ pissed-off George on top of it? He's one of my only friends, Mark."

"Lex, calm down," Mark smiles. "I was just fooling around, he got that."

"It isn't physically possible for you to fool around," Lexie argues.

"I think you've disproved that."

"Must you turn _every_thing into an innuendo?" Lexie hisses, annoyed, hands on her hips.

"What?" Mark asks innocently, grinning. "After what he said to you, I had to do _something_ to make him see my commitment."

Lexie expels her breath in an angry gust. "You didn't need to do _that_. Now it'll be all over the hospital. Really, Mark, do you _not _work here?"

"I've worked here longer than you."

"Barely. And it's not the same for you as it is for me. You're an attending. I'm and _intern_. People can say whatever the hell they want to me."

"They can do that to me too."

"No they can't."

"Do you want me to talk to someone for you, Lex?"

"That would make it worse," Lexie groans.

"How would that make it worse?"

"Because it makes it look like I need you to come in and fix everything. I don't need you to do that, and I don't want people thinking I do."

"Well, apparently I'm useless, then. Should I just leave now?"

Lexie waves her hand, stepping away. "Go deal with your patient."

"I paged you down here for a reason, remember?" Mark calls. Lexie turns around. He inclines his head towards Jeff. "I wanted to talk to you about him."

Lexie walks back towards him. "What about him?"

"You do his sutures?" Mark asks, already walking back to Jeff's side.

"Yeah," Lexie replies, following behind him. "Yesterday. Hi, Jeff," she says to the patient.

"Hi," he replies.

"They're good," Mark replies, his eyes on the sutures.

"Thanks."

"Okay, but see this?" Mark asks, pointing to a middle suture. Lexie, who was standing a few feet behind him, steps forward, her head hovering just a few inches from his right shoulder.

"Yeah?" Lexie asks.

"You'd want to make this one closer to the other two," Mark tells her, tilting his head just-so towards hers, seeming completely at ease with their shockingly close proximity. Jeff supposes he shouldn't be surprised by their behavior, but still, it seems odd that they're so obvious about it. And then another thought hits him: _Maybe they don't even realize…_

"And tighter together," Mark is saying. "Otherwise…" He pulls the stitch for effect, elongating the pinkish scar tissue that had begun to form. "It'll make the scar worse."

Lexie nods. "Okay."

"But I," Mark says, turning back to Jeff, "will make it perfect, so don't worry."

"Good to know," Jeff smiles, his eyes flitting briefly to Lexie's.

"Okay, did you need anything else?" Lexie asks, straightening up. "Cause Dr. Montgomery probably wants me back—"

"Go ahead," Mark mutters. "Have fun babysitting."

"She's a grown woman," Lexie replies. "It's not babysitting."

"Whatever you say."

…

"So why did he tell people you're getting married?" Jen asks as Lexie takes her temperature a few minutes later. Lexie sighs, transcribing the number before putting the instrument away.

"Because he felt like making my life that much harder," Lexie replies. Jen just smiles at her.

"I'm sure he didn't want to make things difficult for you."

"Uh-huh. Sure."

"He cares about you," Jen tells her. Lexie shakes her head.

"You have no idea who he is!"

"Well, I kind of do." Lexie looks up.

"Did you talk to him? Or to Dr. Shepherd?"

"No, no," Jen replies. "Though that _will _happen," she says, referring to her imminent chat with Derek.

"Jen—"

"I was asking Dr. Montgomery about you two."

Lexie's eyes widen. "What—what did she say?"

…

_A few minutes ago…_

_ Jen shakes her head as Lexie leaves, chuckling softly._

_ "What?" Addison asks, glancing over to her._

_ "Nothing," Jen says. "It's just—it seems her relationship with her boyfriend gets more complicated as the minutes tick by."_

_ "Everything's complicated here," Addison states._

_ "Yes, I've never really heard of a fake wedding announcement before," Jen chuckles. "Pretty odd."_

_ "Well, that's Mark," Addison informs her. "He never quite does what's expected of him."  
"You know him too?" Jen asks, curious. Addison nods._

_ "I used to work here with him," she answers. "And Dr. Shepherd, your neurosurgeon? They're best friends, and he's my ex-husband. We all used to be good friends."_

_ "Not anymore?"_

_ "Well, I moved. This is the first time we've all seen each other in years."_

_ "That must be nice," Jen notes. "Seeing old friends."_

_ "It can be."_

_ Jen watches her, not sure if she should bring up the fact that Dr. Shepherd has obviously moved on. _Maybe it isn't the right thing to say,_ she thinks. _Even if you're divorced, it's still a blow…

_"So," Jen says instead. "What do you think of Dr. Grey and her boyfriend? She's convinced everyone hates them. I'm sure she won't be impressed by what he said…"_

_ Addison shrugs. "I'm fine with it," she replies. "But then again, I don't work here, so it's not quite the same."_

_ "But you know him, right? I mean, you used to be friends."_

_ "I know him," Addison admits._

_ "Well, what do you think of him? As a kind of long-term guy?"_

_ Addison has to stop herself from laughing. "I'm not sure," she replies after a moment. "I've never really thought about it."_

_ "Well, Dr. Grey doesn't seem to think he's got it in him."_

_ "Maybe their impending marriage will change her mind," Addison notes._

_ "Hm," Jen smiles. "I'm sure it'll do something."_

_ "He's a good guy," Addison says after a minute. Jen looks up. "He might not…_seem _it at times, but he cares for people underneath everything. He's a good guy," she repeats._

…

"So," Jen smiles. "You don't have anything to worry about."

Lexie groans, sitting down. _How am I supposed to tell her that was such a bad move? _Lexie thinks. _How do I explain that Addison is the _one _person, besides Derek, that she shouldn't talk to about me and Mark?_

"What?" Jen asks.

"Nothing," Lexie replies. "I just…Look, you've got surgery this afternoon. Why don't we go see if your husband's awake yet?"

Jen's eyes light up. "Really?"

"Sure," Lexie smiles, signaling for a nurse to help her transport the pregnant woman.

"This wouldn't just be your way of getting me to shut up, would it?" Jen asks with a smile as she's being transferred into a wheelchair.

"Not at all," Lexie replies, heading down the hall.

**Author's Note: **Hope you liked it. :) Please review and let me know what you think!


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: Hey guys! I'm so sorry; it's taken me WEEKS to update. But here we go...I hope you like it!**

**Chapter 7:**

"Dr. Shepherd, can I speak to you for a moment?"

Derek looks up to his patient, face open. "Yes?"

"Privately?" Jen qualifies, glancing to the surrounding nurses.

"Oh," Derek says, surprised, but nonetheless gesturing that the OR staff, Addison, and Meredith that they should all leave the room for the moment. "Of course."

"There's something I've been wanting to talk to you about," Jen begins, staring up at him from her position on the operating table.

"You're scared about the surgery?" Derek asks, remembering her husband coming to him with some concerns a few minutes earlier.

"No, no, it's not that," Jen replies, smiling at him. "I know you'll take care of me, get me through this."

Derek smiles at her through his mask. "I will do my best."

"Don't bother being modest," Jen tells him. "You're the best, I've heard. That means I'll come out right as rain."

Derek nods quickly, not wanting to give her a guarantee when there are still so many things that could go wrong. "What did you want to talk to me about?"

"It's about Dr. Grey," Jen tells him.

"Dr. Grey?" Derek questions, looking down reflexively at the ring in his pocket. "What…"

"Not that Dr. Grey," Jen smiles, noting his distraction. "The other one. The sister."

"Oh. Lexie. What about her?"

"Well, she was worried…" Jen trails off. "I think you should forgive Dr. Sloan."

Derek's eyebrows rise as he shifts his weight. "Excuse me?"

"We had a lot of time together, her and I, since she had to watch over me. We got to talking, and eventually I was asking her about her life when we ran out of interesting tidbits from mine." She looks her surgeon in the eye. "She told me she had a boyfriend, but that she was very worried that that boyfriend didn't have the support of his best friend." Jen inclines her head towards Derek's. "That would be you."

"Jen, I really don't think this is something you need to worry about. Especially not before surgery." Derek glances over his shoulder. "I should probably bring the team back in…"

Jen grabs his arm, making Derek look down at her. "Promise me you'll think about it. Tell me you'll try to be his friend again."

"Mrs. Harmon, it's not that simple."

"Of course it is," Jen smiles. "They're invested in each other. I think you should acknowledge that. You don't have to like them, but you can at least see that they're real."

Derek stares at her for a moment before gathering his wits about him. "I'll go get the OR staff," he tells her, shaking off her arm.

…

"Hey, what're you doing?" Mark asks, taking a seat beside Lexie in the OR gallery. Lexie glances over, not expecting to see him for another hour.

"That's my patient," Lexie says, nodding her head towards the cluster of surgeons below. "I'm making sure she gets through this."

"She will," Mark assures her. "Derek's very good."

Lexie nods, studying the surgery below her. "So why are you here?" She asks him, her eyes still glued to the scalpels below.

"My rhinoplasty ended early," Mark replies. "It was a pretty easy fix."

"That's good," Lexie replies, yawning slightly.

"Come on," Mark nudges her. "Let's go."

"No, no, I should wait. I've gotta see her out of surgery."

"Did Addison say that?"

"No," Lexie admits slowly. "But Jen'll be expecting me. I told her I'd see her afterwards."

"And you will. But right now you should sleep. It's almost ten and this will go on for at least three more hours."

"So?" Lexie asks, doing her best to stifle another yawn.

"She's got Karev to take care of the patient. He'll deal with post-op. Come on." Mark tugs on her arm. "Let's go."

"I'm not tired," Lexie protests as he hauls her to her feet.

"Don't lie; you've yawned twice in the last two minutes. Come on."

Lexie takes one last look over her shoulder at the surgery below before following her boyfriend out.

"She'll be fine," Mark assures her as they head down the stairs. "Don't worry about it."

...

"She's lost too much blood," Derek tells Addison an hour later as she prepares for a C-section. "If you cut her now, she'll bleed out," Derek rushes. "I can save her."

_I know you'll take care of me, get me through this._

"How?" Addison presses, urgency evident within her voice.

"I have to cut out the frontal lobe."

"What?" The neonatal surgeon asks sharply. "D-Derek, no stop! Derek. You've done enough."

"Her frontal lobe," Meredith asks worriedly. "Can she live without her frontal lobe _and _her temporal lobe?"

"Yes," Derek assures her.

"NO!" Addison calls. "Derek, she can't. Derek," Addison pleads, trying to catch his eye, "listen to me-this baby is not getting any oxygen. Now, I know that you want to save Jen; I know that you feel like you_ have to_, but not this way."

"I can do this. I can save them both, she will live." _You're the best, I've heard. That means I'll come out right as rain._

"Not as the person that her husband and child need her to be," Addison presses. "She'll lose everything about her that makes her human."

…

"You all right there?" Mark asks, locking the door as he watches Lexie half-stumble towards the bed.

"I'm fine," Lexie replies, kicking off her shoes as crawling under the covers without removing her scrubs. Mark smiles slightly, thinking _It's a good thing I brought her home when I did._

"Good night, Lex," Mark calls, turning off the light by the door before walking over to join her.

"Night," she replies, yawning. She blinks slightly as he settles in beside her, half-awake, half-asleep. Mark smiles, wrapping an arm around her easily and cradling her close to him. "Mark," she mutters.

"Hm?" He asks, eyes closed, hoping he'll be able to fall asleep as quickly as she is.

"Love you."

Mark's eyes snap open, he's so shocked he almost jumps; but that would have woken her. _Would have woken her—she's—she's_ asleep? Mark studies her face as well as he can in the dark, but he's unable to discern if she's really asleep or just faking it. "L—Lex?" He asks hesitantly, trying to gauge if she can hear him.

She doesn't respond, and after a few seconds, her breathing evens out—_she's obviously asleep now, _Mark thinks, sighing and closing his eyes. Her confession had forced him awake, now he can't do anything but think about what she said. _Love you._

_Did that even happen? Did she actually say it, or was it just my imagination?_

_No. She said it. She probably meant it too. _Mark sighs, putting a hand over his eyes. _Shit._

…

"I don't understand," Mr. Harmon says the next morning. "She just died?"

"I'm sorry," Derek whispers.

"Yeah, I know you _said that._ I'm asking _how_ she died."

Derek pauses, not being able to think of any way to explain all that happened in the OR to this poor man. He doesn't think he'd be able to.

"You said it was a routine procedure," Mr. Harmon, accusation in his voice. "But that she would be fine. Then there was a complication. And you said you fixed that. But then the baby got sick, and that made _Jen_ sick. But then you said that you fixed that too. And now she's-dead?"

"I'm sorry," Derek whispers again.

"Stop _saying_ you're sorry! You killed her. You're a murderer. A _murderer_!" He yells. "Where's my wife? I want my wife! I want my _wife_! I-I want…I-I want..." Derek just stares at the man before him, feeling powerless, as the widow dissolves into tears.

…

Mark scans the hospital hallways, looking for that familiar face he's spent the last fifteen minutes seeking out. But she's nowhere to be found. _She didn't say it,_ Mark tells himself. _You just imagined it._ He shakes his head roughly, as if hoping the movement will force the idea from his mind. It doesn't.

He had woken up before her this morning, and since she'd been so tired yesterday, he hadn't wanted to bother to wake her up. And-if Mark was being truthful with himself-he hadn't woken her because he hadn't wanted to face what he might or might have not heard just a few hours before. Unfortunately, the decision not to rouse her had lead to him going out of his mind with confusion and worry. Did she say it or didn't? And, if she did say it after all, did she even mean it? _Maybe she's avoiding me_, Mark thinks before turning a corner and almost running into the woman he was looking for.

"Hey!" He calls, half-relieved, half-terrified that he found her so suddenly. He'd spent so much time wondering if she had confessed her love for him or not that he hadn't even though about how he should respond.

But all of those thoughts fly out the window when he notices she's trying to quickly wipe her eyes before he notices.

"Hey, you alright?" Mark asks, new worried invading his mind. "Why are you crying? What happened?"

"She—Jen, the—the patient. She's dead," Lexie chokes out.

"Oh, Lex, I'm sorry," Mark tells her, a frown forming on his face. He ushers her quickly to a nearby on-call room for privacy.

"I...I told her..." Lexie murmurs as he closes the door behind them.

"What'd you tell her?" Mark asks softly, sitting beside her and holding her hand.

"Everything," Lexie cries. "I told her everything, I—she listened to me about—about all my crap. I told her I'd talk to her tomorrow, I told her I'd see her after surgery, and now she's—dead."

"Lex, I'm so sorry."

"It's—it's not your fault," Lexie tells him, her voice hoarse. "I just—I shouldn't have told her all that stuff. I mean, she was a patient. There was always a chance she'd—die."

"It's not your fault you got attached," Mark tells her. "It happens."

Lexie nods, but something tells Mark that he words didn't have much effect on her. "What did you tell her?" He asks quietly. "Why are you so upset about what you said?"

Lexie turns her head to meet his eyes. "I told her about us," Lexie whispers. "I told her about us and about everything that's going on…I guess I just needed someone to freak out to, another girl, you know?"

Mark flinches inwardly. If this wasn't a sign that she hadn't meant what she said last night, he didn't know what was. Despite the sinking feeling in his gut, he forces himself to ask. "What did I do to make you freak out?"

"Nothing," Lexie tells him, shaking her head. "It wasn't you."

Mark feels a sudden rush of relief pass through him-if there weren't still tears on her face, he might've laughed at the suddenness of it all. "Okay," he replies slowly, trying to remain appropriately solemn. "If we're having problems, why didn't you come to talk to me about it? I thought we were supposed to be talking through this stuff."

"This wasn't something I wanted to talk to you about."

"Why not?"

"Because it's _about _you. About _us_."

"Well, now I'm worried again, so you should really tell me what it is you _are_ talking about."

"I-" Lexie begins, only to break off when the door in front of them opens and the fluorescent light shines through.

"Mark," Addison's voice calls. "I need to talk to you."

Mark puts up a hand to shield his eyes, simultaneously glaring at Addison, before getting to his feet. "I'll be right back, okay?"

"Yeah, fine," Lexie replies, already clearing her face of all signs of grief.

…

"What is it, Addison?" Mark asks impatiently once the door is closed behind them.

"Derek's gone," Addison tells him.

"What?"

"Derek's gone." Addison enunciates each syllable as if he were deaf. "He isn't at Meredith's and he isn't at the hospital. The Chief has called and paged him, but he hasn't answered."

"Meredith-"

"She won't talk to him. She said they got into some fight, but she won't tell me what happened."

"Okay," Mark says, impatience creeping back into his voice as he glances behind him at the closed door. "What do you want me to do about it?"

"I want you to go find him and bring him back," Addison replies. "He's got to speak to Mrs. Harmon's husband, and sit before the board." Addison frowns. "They're worried Mr. Harmon's going to sue."

Mark sighs heavily, rubbing the side of his face. "I don't have time for this. Lexie-"

"What? What about her?"

"She took Jen's death hard," Mark replies, his voice automatically defensive. "You could have given me a minute, by the way."

"Well, then go talk to her!" Addison tells him. "Lexie will tell you that you have to bring Derek back, too. You're the only person he'd listen to."

"_Ha. _Fat chance."

"Please?" Addison asks.

"I have to go," Mark says, already heading back to Lexie.

…

"What did Addison want?" Lexie asks once he rejoins her within the on-call room.

"Nothing," Mark lies. "She just told me what I already knew."

"About Jen?" Lexie asks, taking a breath.

"Yeah," Mark answers, sitting beside her. He glances over, his eyes roaming over her still-teary face. The sadness on her features makes him want to admit everything, to fix everything. And before he can stop himself, he does. "She wants me to go see Derek," Mark informs her as Lexie's gaze meets his. "She thinks..." Mark chuckles once. "She thinks that Derek listens to me-which is completely absurd."

"It's not," Lexie replies quietly after a minute. "He does listen to you."

"Not anymore."

"No," Lexie argues, straightening her spine and looking intently at him. "He does. He listens to you. And they need Derek back-I overheard the Chief talking about it. They need him back before the hospital gets sued. So you-you have to go. Go bring him back."

"I am not going out there," Mark replies, knowing that Derek no doubt ran off to hide in the woods. "Besides, he hates me."

"He doesn't hate you; you're his best friend."

"Not anymore."

"Then go," Lexie tells him. "Fix that."

Mark looks over, staring hard at her for a minute. He stares at her so long that Lexie feelings uncomfortable under his gaze. "What?" She whispers when he doesn't speak. Mark opens his mouth, willing the words to come out, but nothing happens. He repeats this action again before he finally finds his voice.

"If I go, you have to promise me you'll tell me something."

"Of course," Lexie replies, smiling at the simple request. "What is it?"

"I..." Mark trails off, suddenly and uncharacteristically shy. _I want to know if you love me._ It's amazing how much that simple phrase made him feel unimaginably vulnerable. He stares at her, frozen, suddenly being hit with the fact that he will never be able to voice his queries. This discovery makes him look down, embarrassed-since when does _anyone_ have this sort of hold, this power, over him? _This isn't you, _part of him thinks. _What is wrong with you? It's just a simple question. Who cares if she says no. Who cares if you made it all up._

_But I care, _another part of Mark argues-a new part. A part that he's spent the last three months creating, cultivating, and becoming. A part of him that Lexie helped him become, a part of him he wanted to be the whole because it was who she saw-or thought she saw-in him. _I care._

"Mark?"

Mark Sloan looks up, realizing his introspection has taken much too long and she's still waiting on him to finish his sentence. "It was nothing," Mark replies easily.

"No, tell me," Lexie smiles. "I want to know."

"Not that big of a deal," Mark lies, standing up and suddenly needing to be away from her-the longer he stays near her, the more he's sure he's going to blurt it out in the worst fashion.

"Where are you going?" She asks as he reaches the door.

"I'm going to talk to Derek," he replies, pulling it closed before she can draw him back.

…

Thirty minutes later, Mark is cutting the engine as he pulls to a stop outside Derek's trailer. He lets out one last sigh and then opens the door, marching forward. He tries to push the ruined conversations with Lexie out of his mind-he needs to find something new to focus on, anyway. Derek glances up once, then looks back down and takes a long swig of beer.

"What do you want?" Derek spits, glaring at him. Mark holds up his hands, walking slowly to the trailer's front porch.

"I come in peace," Mark tells him, taking in the multitude of scattered beer cans around the yard. "And on the Chief's orders."

"Fantastic."

"He wants you back."

"Tell him I'm not coming."

"Fine," Mark replies, shoving his hands into his pockets to stave off the cold chill. He glances around, taking in the dew on the grass and visible clouds of breath as the two men exhale. "Why are you out here?"

"It's nice out," Derek remarks. Mark snorts, noting the sarcasm in the neurosurgeon's tone.

"It's thirty degrees. It is _not _nice out." Mark's eyes leave the surrounding woods to stare at his ex-best friend. He takes in the surgeon's bare feet and bare arms. "What are you doing?"

"Drinking," Derek replies as he polishes off what must be his fifth can, crumples it in his fist, and chucks it in Mark's general direction. Mark dodges the flying hunk of aluminum and steps forward, scrutinizing the man before him as he grabs another beer.

"You're torturing yourself, aren't you?" Mark asks, looking him up and down. "You're sitting out in a t-shirt and no shoes, in below-freezing temperatures, to _torture _yourself because you lost _one _patient."

Derek glares at him, but doesn't speak.

"She isn't the first patient you've lost," Mark remarks. "And everyone knew that there was a chance she wouldn't survive. There's always a chance."

"She didn't think so." Mark stares at him. _How could Derek have not warned her of the risks? Especially with neurosurgery?_ "She said she knew I'd take care of her." Derek's cloying voice puts Mark on edge. "She said she knew I'd get her through the surgery, that she'd come out alive." He kicks his feet up onto a nearby cooler. "Well, I couldn't And I didn't. And she's—"

"Dead," Mark finishes for him. Derek's eyes narrow onto the plastic surgeon as he steps forward, stopping just a few feet from Derek's chair. "She died and there's nothing you can do about that now. But you saved the baby. And her husband is fine."

"Yeah, her husband who has to live _without _her. Her husband who has to raise a baby on his own. Her husband who called me a _murderer_."

"You aren't a murderer." Derek scoffs, rolling his eyes. "It isn't your fault she died."

"It is _absolutely _my fault that she died," Derek yells suddenly, staring Mark dead in the eyes. "That was a _routine _surgery. She should have been fine. She should have _lived."_

"I get that you're angry," Mark says calmly as Derek rolls his eyes. "I get that. I would be too. But sitting here getting hammered and shouting at me won't fix the fact that she's gone."

"Why don't you just go?"

"I can't," Mark replies, looking away.

"Just tell Richard I'm not coming back," Derek suggests. "Tell him you tried and it didn't work."

"I can't do that."

"_Why not_?" Derek asks, his voice clipped.

"The Chief didn't send me," Mark admits. "He wanted me to come out here, but that's not why I…" Mark sighs, running a hand through his hair. Derek scrutinizes his old friend for a few seconds before his boozy brain brings him to the right conclusion.

"Ah," Derek sighs, leaning back in his chair. "The _girlfriend _sent you, did she?"

"Lexie," Mark corrects, ignoring Derek's mocking tone.

"And how long is that gonna last, hm? Two weeks?" Derek pretends to ponder his own words. "No, that's too long for you. You're more of a hit-and-run guy aren't you?"

Mark sets his jaw, clenching his teeth for a moment before speaking. "What I have with Lexie isn't some cheap affair," Mark tells Derek. "It's real."

"Sure it is," Derek laughs, standing up and stepping surprisingly gingerly around the mess in front of him to stand in front of his best friend. He looks Mark in the eye, a sarcastic smirk spreading across his lips as he speaks. "Real as in the reality that you'll get bored with fucking her and move on to some other whore?"

Faster than either of them thought was possible, Mark's fist flies forward, smashing loudly into the neurosurgeon's face. Derek falls backwards, blood spattering into the air, as he trips drunkenly on the wet grass, landing hard on the ground. Mark steps towards him, towering menacingly over the man he once called his brother.

"Shut the _fuck _up, Derek," he growls. "Shut up and _stay away from me,"_ Mark orders harshly before walking away and getting into his car.

...

"Hey, I'm back," Mark calls a half-hour later, opening the door to room 551 after dropping his car off with the valet.

"Hey," Lexie calls, walking out from the bathroom to greet him with a smile on her face. "How'd it g-" She starts to ask before her eyes widen in shock as she takes in his appearance.

"What?" Mark asks, glancing down. "Oh," he remarks, seeing the state of his hand. He'd driven one-handed, without looking at it, the whole way home. Now it looked like a balloon, stained red and blue with blood and bruises. He was sure the rest of him didn't look much better. Suddenly, the odd looks he'd been getting from the hotel staff just a few minutes ago made sense.

"'_Oh_?'" Lexie echoes, stepping towards him. "Are—Are you okay? What happened? Did Derek-"

"It was nothing," Mark shrugs, taking off his coat and unbuttoning his blood-spattered shirt.

"Mark," Lexie says, putting her hands on top of his to still them. He looks at her, silently pleading her to leave it alone. But she doesn't—she can't. He drops his hands, sighing, and walks over to the couch. Lexie follows him expectantly, standing with her arms crossed before him as he sits down on the sofa.

"I went out to see Derek," Mark tells her, leaning back and covering his eyes tiredly with his hand. Lexie's eyes tighten as they track his movements. "Like you wanted me to, I might add."

"Did you get into a fight?" She asks quietly. Mark removes his hand, staring at her, his face grim. Lexie turns away, and heads to across the room to get some ice. Mark sighs. _Great. Now she's pissed too. This is just what I need. _But when she comes back, her face isn't judgmental. She just hands him a bag of ice, and takes her place beside him.

"Thank you," Mark says genuinely, placing the ice on his injured hand. He winces slightly at the cool sting, but he presses harder, knowing it'll help.

"You gonna tell me what happened?"

"It wasn't that big of a deal," Mark downplays. "He was drunk and pissed off. And I just snapped."

"Okay, I get that, but why? What made you snap?"

He raises his eyes to hers. "He insulted you," Mark replies quietly after a minute's hesitation. Lexie tilts her head, urging him to continue.

"Mark…" She doesn't know whether to be grateful or tell him it was unnecessary.

"Lex, it's not that big of a deal," Mark tells her as he gets to his feet. "He was being an asshole, and I just reacted. He was bound to get punched out sometime, better it be by me and not some crazy on the street who wouldn't be able to help himself."

"You still didn't need to hit him," Lexie replies, trailing behind him as he moves to sit on the edge of the bed.

"Yes, I did," Mark replies shortly, pulling off his shoes.

"Mark, look, I get that he made you angry," Lexie says as she sits beside him. "And if I had known what he'd be like, I wouldn't have asked you to go out there, but I really thought you'd be able to help him. And I know you just went out there because Addison asked and he's your best friend, but-"

"That's not why I did it," Mark interrupts, his voice quiet and calm. Lexie tilts her head, looking at him.

"Then why did you do it?"

"I did it for you," Mark answers, meeting her eyes.

"Gee, thanks for the blame," Lexie jokes, smiling, and putting her hand atop his.

"No," Mark shakes his head and removes her hand from his ice pack. Her eyes look to his, confused. "_I did this for you._"

Lexie feels suddenly uncomfortable again under his gaze, just like what happened this morning before he left to go see Derek. "Why?" She asks, voice hushed, as her eyes stay locked with his. Something in his eyes makes her voice unable to rise to its usual decibel.

"I did it because you wanted me to," Mark answers. He ducks his head down, pretending to examine his bruised hand. Lexie looks away as well, still feeling a little off from the intensity of his gaze.

"I did it because I love you," Mark whispers, still looking down. He feels her stiffen beside him, grow still on the bed, and immediately curses himself for being such an idiot. _Why did I say that _now_? _Mark asks himself, feeling his face grow hot with embarrassment. _Why am I so _stupid_? I couldn't just wai-_

"What?" Lexie asks a second later, her voice barely audible. Mark steels himself before lifting his eyes to face her.

"I did it because I love you," he repeats, his voice only a margin louder than it was before. He stares at her for a moment before feeling the sudden need to fill the silence, the space, between them. "I mean, I went out to see Derek because you wanted me to. And you're-you're my girlfriend," Mark pauses, abruptly feeling unsure of this fact. He plows ahead anyway. "So I thought I should-go out there. And it didn't work, but I tried, you know? And I said I lov-" He blinks quickly, not wanting to have to say it again without her responding. "I said what I said just now," he corrects himself firmly, "because of all that. And because, well, I thought..." He glances away before facing her once again. "I kind of thought you said it last night." He swallows roughly. "And, before..." He trails off, clearing his throat. "This afternoon, when I said I wanted you to tell me something..."

Lexie stares at him, watching in disbelief as his voice disappears from his mouth. His eyes fidget beneath her gaze-flying everywhere anywhere except her face-as she takes a moment to process what he'd just admitted. She licks her lips, trying to prepare herself but still feeling completely _un_prepared.

"I love you too," Lexie whispers a second later, her eyes staring straight at him. At her words, Mark freezes again, but soon his head jerks towards hers, meeting her soft brown eyes with his icy-blue ones.

"You-you do?" Mark manages, relief flooding his face as he tries to suppress the smile he feels already spreading across his lips.

"Of course," Lexie replies, a smile breaking over her face as well. She stares at him for one second more before shooting forward to kiss him. Mark grins, half-laughing into the kiss as he raises his good hand to touch her cheek. She pulls back after a moment, leaning her forehead against his and biting her lip in happiness.

"You're sure about this?" She asks quietly, her eyes closed. "Because if you're not..."

Mark smirks slightly at her closed eyes, lifting his injured hand to cup the other side of her face. Lexie's eyes open at the contact, meeting his.

"I am very sure," Mark replies, looking at her. Lexie smiles at him, kissing him softly.

"Why didn't you say anything until now?" Lexie asks him. Mark looks down.

"I was kind of nervous," he admits. "I kept thinking I imagined what you said last night... I pretty much convinced myself you'd never have any reason to love me."

Lexie's eyebrows draw together in sympathy. "Mark..."

"But I know I'm wrong now," he continues, not wanting to ruin this moment by having her feel the need to raise his self-esteem. "Why did _you _say it, by the way?" He asks, trying to change the subject. "Last night, I mean."

"I don't know," Lexie replies with a smile. "I just...You were so nice, so caring yesterday... You knew that I needed to go home, and then you made me when I wouldn't. You didn't have to do that-but you did, and it got me thinking of how I felt about you and then I realized-I'm in love with you."

"So you meant it?"

"I meant it," Lexie assures him.

"I thought you were dreaming or something," Mark replies. "I couldn't tell if you were awake or asleep, and by the time I realized what you said you really _were _asleep."

"I was tired," Lexie replies. "I could barely stay awake to tell you that much, but I wanted to make sure you knew, once we were home, how I felt."

Mark smiles at her. "Well, even though it caused me to freak out with worry all day, I'm still happy you said it."

"Me too," Lexie agrees.

"And I was thinking... If Meredith and Derek still aren't too interested on letting you back in the house after Derek comes back to work... Myabe we should find an _actual_ home." He looks over at her. "An apartment, maybe?"

Lexie swallows. "For us?"

"Yeah," Mark answers, taking her hand. "For us."

She stares at him for a moment, her brain in overdrive. So many things are happening so fast, she can't quite sort through them all... But Lexie does know that if Mark's involved, she's on board. Be it "I like you" or "I love you," an apartment or a house, she's on board. "Okay," Lexie replies, leaning forward to kiss him. "It's a plan."

**Author's Note: Please review and tell me what you think! Reviews help me update faster :)**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8:**

**Author's Note: Hey, guys. First off, I'm very sorry I took so long to update. With the end of the year approaching, school has been crazy busy and I haven't had much time to write. I had been planning to update Thursday night, but I watched **_**Grey's **_**instead, and I'm sure you can all understand why I wasn't really feeling the ability to write a story like this after watching that.**

**Anyway, here we go:**

_Three weeks later…_

"Hi," Derek greets the woman standing behind the Archfield's reception desk. "Is Mark Sloan here?"

"In the hotel?" The receptionist clarifies hesitantly, eyeing his bruised face.

"He's a friend," Derek elaborates, having to refrain from rolling his eyes at the contradiction in his own words. "I was wondering what room he was staying in."

"Oh," the woman replies easily, turning to the computer in front of her. "Let me check."

Derek waits patiently in front of the reception area, his eyes roaming over the unfamiliar faces in the lobby as the woman searches on the computer. It's then that he sees the large stack of boxes just inside the entrance. It takes him just a moment to recognize the scrawled handwriting across the cardboard's sides.

"I just started my shift," the woman is saying as she sifts through the online guest index. "So I'm not sure if Mr. Sloan is still—Ah, here." Derek turns to look at her, but is only half as interested as he was before his eyes had begun wandering. "He actually just checked out a couple minutes ago," the receptionist smiles sympathetically. "Maybe you can catch him if he's still heading out?"

"Yeah," he mutters as he watches Mark, now joined by Lexie, carry the last few boxes out into the parking lot. "I'll try that."

Derek spares a small smile for the receptionist before heading back through the hotel bar and towards the back exit. He hears a few shouts, mostly directed as the Seahawks game on TV, as he passes through the drinking men and women, but only one voice stops him.

"You looking for Mark?" The bartender asks, reaching her hand across the counter to grab Derek's arm. He turns to the woman, surprised she knew who he was talking about, before remembering that Mark had been living her for years. He probably knew every member of the staff personally.

"Uh, yeah, I was," Derek replies slowly, stopping by the counter.

"He's outside," the woman informs him, jerking her thumb over her shoulder towards the front doors. "Moving boxes. You can still catch him."

"No, it's okay. I'll…see him at work."

The bartender offers him a knowing smile, realizing why he doesn't want to intrude. "She's nice, isn't she? Not like the others."

"Uh…"

"The girl he's with," the woman smiles. Derek focuses on her nametag instead of her words. Charice. _Charice_, Derek thinks, _I really don't want to be having this conversation with you._ "I think they're getting a place." Derek nods, trying not to express too much interest but also not trying to look like he's ignoring her. "Have you met her?"

"Lexie?" Derek corrects automatically. "Yeah, I have. She's…nice."

"She seems good for him," Charice notes. "Normal girl, you know? Not just a one-time thing."

"Right."  
"And she got him out of the hotel," Charice laughs good-naturedly. "I was beginning to wonder if that was _ever _going to happen."

"He…" Derek pauses, wondering what to say. _How does this woman know him so well?_ "He came here a lot? To the bar?"

"You could say that," Charice chuckles lightly before sobering. "I saw him almost every night the first year he was here, back when I was on nightshift. He was lonely, I guess. Used the bar to pick up women."

"Did he ever…meet her…here? Lexie?"

"Oh, yeah," Charice smiles as she reaches to fill a patron's glass before handing it back. "Lots 'o times."

"When?" Derek asks quickly before he can stop himself. "I mean, when did she start…showing up?" He asks again, trying to control his curiosity. _Mark, how long have you been lying to me?_

"Hm, well, that's a tough one…" Charice takes a minute to think, scratching the vibrant red curls piled on top of her head. "I'd have to say…beginning of January, sometime? But she wasn't with him. She just stopped by for a few shots and then went to the elevators." She smiles at Derek in a way that fills in all the blanks he doesn't even want to know about. "And then…" Charice bites her lip. "You know, I didn't see her for a few weeks. It was a little while till she came back." She shrugs. "I guess they got into some little spat or somethin'."

"This was in January?" Derek clarifies, thinking back.

"Yeah," Charice responds. "Why?"

"Nothing…" Derek mutters. _Keep Little Sloan out of Little Grey it my point_, he remembers telling Mark. _So he _had _listened to me, _Derek thinks incredulously. _How is that even possible?_

"All right, well I gotta get back," Charice tells him, gesturing to the register. "I hope you find him."

"Yeah," Derek murmurs, his mind spinning miles ahead of his words. "Me too."

…

_A week earlier…_

_…_

_"Can I talk to you?" Derek asks, pushing the scrub room door open softly. Mark looks up, suppressing a sigh at the sight of his ex-best friend._

_"I'm about to go into surgery, Shep. What do you want?"_

_Derek looks his friend up and down, not quite believing what he's about to ask. His voice is oddly soft when he finally speaks. "Do you love her?"_

_"Excuse me?" Mark asks, his head snapping towards the bruised neurosurgeon._

_"You heard me," Derek replies, stepping instead the small room and letting the large wooden door swing shut behind him. "Do you love her?"_

_"Why are you asking me this?" Mark asks tiredly, bracing his weight against the sinks as he looks away, staring directly ahead without meeting Derek's eye._

_"Because…"_

_"Because _what_?" Mark asks loudly, whipping around to face his childhood friend. "You think I'm using her? _Really_? After that whole fight, after what I did to your face?" He crosses his arms, staring his friend in the eye. "Why would I go through all that for someone I didn't care about?"_

_"I didn't ask if you cared about her," Derek replies, struggling to keep his voice even. "That is obvious. I asked if you loved her. Those are two very different things."_

_"Yes, I am aware of the differences."_

_"Mark, look…"_

_"Save it, Derek," Mark growls angrily, shoving a scrub cap onto his head. "I've got to go to surgery and from what it looks like, you've got some lawyers to meet with. But know this: I'm _**done**_with you; I am _**finished**_. If I hadn't fallen for Little Grey, you would have found some other way not to respect me and you _**always have**._ To you, I'm always gonna be the charity case the Shepherd's had to take in." He sighs. "Now, at least, we don't have to pretend to be friends."_

_"Hey, Mark, look, all I'm saying is you could have talked to me about this—"_

_"Oh, that's rich," Mark cuts in. "No way in hell you would have heard me out."_

_"You don't know that."_

_Mark quirks an eyebrow, staring down the other man. "I don't? Really?"_

_ Derek presses his lips into a hard line, but before he can think of a retort, the plastic surgeon has already left the room and moved on._

…

"Have you at least told her yet?" Mark wonders, pulling into the Grey's driveway fifteen minutes later. Lexie shakes her head as her guilty eyes meet his.

"When would I have had time to do that, Mark?"

"Great," he mutters, unbuckling his seat belt. "This will be a breeze."

"I told you: you didn't have to come."

"Then would have driven the getaway car when you needed a fast escape?" Mark smirks, cutting the engine. "You always need a proper getaway plan for situations like these."

"Good thing I can count on you to run when the going gets tough," Lexie jokes, stepping out of the car.

"I'm not running," Mark replies seriously, taking her hand as they head towards the house.

"I know," Lexie replies, the corners of her mouth flicking upward at his assurance. She stops, looking at him once before ascending the steps. "Last chance," she warns.

"I'm good," Mark replies, following her to the top of the porch. "I can take it."

"If you're sure…" Lexie mutters under her breath, opening the front door with her key. "Hey, Mer," she calls out. "You here?"

"She's gone," a male voice yells from the kitchen. Lexie can hear Mark let out an audible sigh when he realizes neither Meredith nor Derek are home. "What are you…" Alex trails off as he walks down the main hallway, his eyes darting to Mark. "What's Sloan doing here?"

"I'm here to get my stuff, Alex," Lexie replies, resting her fingers gently on Mark's wrist to tell him to hold back whatever biting response he'd had planned on replying.

"You're moving out?" Alex asks, eyes widening in surprise. "To where?"

"An apartment on Marbury," Lexie replies, heading up the stairs. "Are there still boxes in the closet?"

"Cardboard ones? Yeah, on the bottom shelf." Alex stares at his now former roommate for a hard second. "Wait, you're not moving in with O'Malley again, are you?"

Lexie sighs, feeling Mark's eyes, as well as Alex's, on her. "No, I'm not moving in with George," Lexie answers.

"Then…" It takes Alex a moment, but soon his eyes are on Mark's. "No," he mutters with a slight chuckle.

"Bravo, Karev, you cracked the case," Mark notes sardonically.

"No way," Alex laughs. "This isn't happening."

"Believe what you want," Lexie tells him. "But I'm going to go get those boxes." Lexie ascends the stairs, followed by Mark, and leaves Alex on the bottom landing without another word. He stares after them, slightly mystified, before heading back into the kitchen, shaking his head the whole way.

…

"That was pretty painless," Lexie notes two hours later as she tapes up the last of the boxes.

"The boxes or Karev?" Mark asks, glancing around the now-bare room to see if they missed anything.

"Alex," Lexie confirms, "wasn't too bad."

"Yeah, except when he heard you were moving out and immediately thought you were living with _O'Malley_—"

"Mark," Lexie cuts in.

"—despite the fact that I, your boyfriend—I _am _your boyfriend, by the way. You know that, right?"

"Mark."

"I was standing right next to you, Lex, as you told him you were moving out. He didn't think to put us together?"

"He _knows _we're together," Lexie replies, taking the last couple boxes down to the second floor. "He was just screwing with you."

"Sure he was," Mark mutters, following her down. Lexie turns around, lifting her hands and taking a deep breath.

"I don't care if he did or didn't mean what he said. Can we just _stop_ talking about Alex, please?"

"Anytime," Mark replies, leaning forward and kissing her softly. Lexie smiles into the kiss, enjoying it for a moment before breaking away and heading towards the pile of boxes.

"Come on," Lexie grins at his pouting face. "The sooner we get these boxes outside, the sooner we can get out of here and go—"

"Home," Mark finishes. Lexie's eyes dart to his, wide for a second before her smiles reaches them.

"Yeah," Lexie grins. "Home."

...

"You know, you have a lot more stuff than I do," Mark notes as he carries the last few boxes out to the car.

"That's because I haven't been living in hotel for the past two years," Lexie replies, leaning up against the car and scribbling a note for Meredith. "I've been able to actually _furnish_ a room."

"Just because you live in a house doesn't mean you need all this _stuff_," Mark complains as he tries again to shut the overstuffed trunk.

"We can make two trips," Lexie offers.

"Not a chance," Mark replies before successfully shutting the trunk. "You ready?"

"Yeah, one sec," Lexie replies. "I just have to leave my key."

"I'll be in the car."

"Okay," Lexie calls, already heading into the house. "I'll be right back." She walks back into the empty house, taking a direct path back to the kitchen. Lexie debates for a moment where to leave her note—tequila cabinet would be best, seeing as that's where Meredith spends most of her time—but Lexie finally decides to just leave it, and her key, out on the center island in plain sight.

"So that's it?"

Lexie spins around, jumping out of her skin at the sound of her sister's voice behind her. "M—Meredith?" Lexie manages. "When did you get here?"

"A few minutes ago. Alex texted me, saying that you were moving out." She nods to the note on the counter. "So you were going to leave me with your key and skip town?"

"I'm not skipping town, I'm just moving to a different part of it."

"And what part is that, exactly?"

"Marbury Avenue," Lexie replies automatically. "It's a few blocks—"

"I know where it is," Meredith snaps. Lexie regards her sister for a moment, crossing her arms.

"What's up with you?"

"Nothing," Meredith replies.

"Look, Mer, I'm sorry about you and Derek—"

"This is not _about Derek,_" Meredith shoots back angrily. Even though she knows her sister is lying, Lexie decides to let the topic drop. If Meredith wants to leave this on a bad note, then let her.

"Well…" Lexie begins softly, stepping away from the counter. "Mark's waiting…"

"Ah. _Mark's_ waiting. Of course he is."

Lexie raises her chin at her sister's mocking tone. "Yes, he is waiting. And we're moving in together. So I should go."

"You're moving in to an apartment on Marbury…with _Mark_ Sloan?" Meredith scoffs. "Okay."

"Yes, we're moving in together, Mer. It isn't that foreign of a concept."

"And next you're going to tell me you're in love with him," Meredith replies sarcastically, hands on her hips as she rolls her eyes. Lexie freezes for a moment, her eyes locking with her sister's. Lexie watches, unmoving, as the smirk falls off Meredith's face.

"I have to go," Lexie mutters a second later. She walks past her sister without another word and is out the front door in less than twenty seconds despite the voice calling her name from the kitchen. Her feet pound down the front steps and out across the front lawn, marching all the way to Mark's car without hesitation.

"Hey," he says as she gets in, slamming the door behind her. "Sorry," he mutters, reversing the car and knowing where her anger is coming from. "I was going to warn you, but…"

"It's fine," Lexie replies, turning to him. She puts her hand atop his, moving the gearshift to park. Mark's eyes snap questioningly to hers.

"Lex, what are you—"

His voice is cut off as Lexie's mouth descends on his, her hands clutching his face to hers. It takes Mark a moment to respond to the sudden gesture, but soon he's kissing back, his hands pulling her closer across the seats. It's a few minutes before she moves back, and when she does, Lexie leans back in her seat as if nothing out of the ordinary just happened. Mark stares at her for a few seconds before putting the car back in reverse, shaking his head as he backs up.

"You going to tell me what that was for?" He asks as he puts the car in drive with a large smirk on his face.

"We had an audience," Lexie shrugs. Mark turns his head to face her, surprised in more than one way. His eyes flit to the porch, seeing Meredith's blonde hair disappear behind the screen door.

"Ah," Mark notes with a smirk. "And you wanted to give 'em a show?"

"I was proving a point, Mark," Lexie rolls her eyes. "To Meredith."

"So youget off on that, do you?"

"This isn't what about what gets me off or not," Lexie mutters. "It's about us moving in together and not caring what anyone else thinks." She raises her head to look clearly out the front windshield. "So let's go."

Mark stares at her determined posture for a moment before shaking his head, amused, and pulling out of the Grey's driveway. "Let's go," he echoes faintly.

…

_A week earlier_

_…_

_"You sure about this?" Lexie asks, touring her way through the apartment's various rooms. The heels of her shoes **click**__ and **clack**__ across the polished hardwood floors as she pretends to examine the previous owners' paint job on the walls. This is the fifth apartment they've looked at in the last two weeks._

_"I don't know," Mark replies, glancing around. His conversation with Derek is still churning through his mind. "It's a nice place, but—"_

_"I didn't mean specifically _this_ apartment, Mark," Lexie cuts quietly, her eyes still on the walls._

_"I know."_

_Mark's voice is so open and oddly light that Lexie turns her entire body around to face him. He isn't quiet or reserved about this like she is. "What…"_

_"Look, I'm serious about this," Mark informs his girlfriend, meeting her by the pale yellow wall. He looks down at her as he speaks, making sure she takes in every word. "I'm serious about you. Saying we should move in together and saying…" He glances down. "And saying 'I love you' wasn't just a spur-of-the-moment thing. I'm in this, okay?"_

_"Okay," Lexie whispers after a tense moment. Mark continues staring at her, trying to find a way to make her see this isn't temporary. Nothing about her in his life is temporary._

_"I'll be here for as long as you want, okay? I don't see myself leaving this anytime soon." He pauses, staring at her for a few moments before blinking and looking towards the far windows. "Or any time at all, really."_

_"Mark." Lexie lays a hand on his hip, trying to find some way to admit to him how closely their interests really line up._

_"This is the most real relationship I've ever been in, Lex. This means too much to me." He tilts his head towards hers. "I'm not just going to cast you aside," he whispers. "I'm not going to get bored. I'm not going to leave you."_

_"I know," she replies after a moment. "I believe you."_

_"Then what's the problem?"_

_"The problem is…" Lexie trails off, turning back to the pale yellows walls in front of them. "The problem is, I really hate yellow."_

_"That can be fixed," Mark smiles, wrapping an arm lightly around her waist._

_ "So what do you think?" Lexie asks finally. Mark takes a deep breath, thinking he would need the courage. Upon finding that he doesn't seem to need any artificial courage with her, Mark speak the truth._

_ "I think yes," he answers her._

_ "You think we could live here?" Lexie presses. Mark turns to her, stepping forward until they're just inches apart and then letting his lips drop down to hers._

_ "I definitely think we could live here," he murmurs when they pull apart a few seconds later._

_ "Together?" Lexie clarifies._

_ "Together," Mark affirms, holding her close._

…

"It's perfect," Lexie whispers, smiling as she steps into the apartment. Mark closes the door behind them, moving to stand beside his girlfriend.

"It's an empty space," he notes. Lexie ignores his comment, moving instead to press her palms to her chest and bring her lips to his.

"It's perfect for us," she whispers against his mouth. "You can't deny that."

"I really can't," Mark whispers back, his hands drifting to her waist as hers cradle his smiling face.

**Author's Note: I hope you guys liked it! _Please_ review and leave your thoughts!**


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